Warriors: Echoes of the War: Code of the Forest
by Jayie The Hufflepuff
Summary: Fifth book in the EOTW series. The Clans have been driven from their home by rogues. They have settled in a twoleg city, but the skills they learned in the forest can't help them survive there. Even with an unexpected obstacle in her way, Silentstorm makes unlikely allies and discoveries that make her question whether the warrior code can truly survive anywhere – and if it should.
1. Allegiances

Code of the Forest Allegiances

 **THUNDERCLAN**

 **LEADER**

BRAMBLESTAR – dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

 **DEPUTY**

SQUIRRELFLIGHT – dark ginger she-cat with green eyes

 **MEDICINE CAT**

LEAFPOOL – light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes  
APPRENTICE, FINCHWING

 **WARRIORS**

BIRCHFALL – light brown tabby tom  
LIONBLAZE – golden tabby tom with amber eyes  
CINDERHEART – gray tabby she-cat  
TOADSTEP – black-and-white tom  
APPRENTICE, REDPAW  
ROSEPETAL – dark cream she-cat  
APPRENTICE, LITTLE WHISKERS  
BUMBLESTRIPE – very pale gray tom with black stripes  
DOVEWING – pale gray she-cat with golden eyes  
MOLEFOOT – brown-and-cream tom  
APPRENTICE, SKYPAW  
SEEDLIGHT – very pale ginger she-cat  
APPRENTICE, SUNNYPAW  
LILYFROST – dark tabby she-cat with patches  
AMBERTALON – very small gray-and-white she-cat  
APPRENTICE, RIPPLEPAW  
SNOWFALL – white tom with amber eyes  
SILENTSTORM – black she-cat with a white stripe  
APPRENTICE, SHADOWPAW  
BLAZEHEART – pale ginger tabby tom with green eyes  
SPARKTAIL – dark cream-and-white tom  
APPRENTICE, DAFFODIL  
LIGHTFOOT – light brown tom with white paws

 **APPRENTICES**

FINCHWING – a pale golden tabby tom with white  
RIPPLEPAW – gray tabby tom with blue eyes  
SKYPAW – pale tom with a darker stripe  
SHADOWPAW – a dark brown tabby tom  
SUNNYPAW – pale ginger she-cat with green eyes  
REDPAW – red-brown tabby she-cat with green eyes  
LITTLE WHISKERS – long-haired gray tom from the horseplace  
DAFFODIL – long-haired yellow tabby she-cat with green eyes from the horseplace

 **QUEENS**

HAZELTAIL – small gray-and-white she-cat (mother of Russetkit, a ginger tabby she-cat with amber eyes, and Foxkit, a fluffy reddish-brown tabby she-cat with white and with green eyes)  
IVYPOOL – silver-and-white tabby she-cat with dark blue eyes (mother of Antkit, a tiny black tom, Beetlekit, a white she-cat with silver patches and blue eyes, and Yewkit, a dark gray tabby she-cat with white and with amber eyes)  
FLOSS – small gray-and-white she-cat from the horseplace

 **ELDERS**

CLOUDTAIL – long-haired white tom with blue eyes  
BRIGHTHEART – white she-cat with ginger patches  
MILLIE – striped gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes  
SPIDERLEG – long-limbed black tom with brown underbelly and amber eyes  
SORRELTAIL – tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with amber eyes

 **SHADOWCLAN**

 **LEADER**

TIGERSTAR – dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

 **DEPUTY**

OLIVENOSE – tortoiseshell she-cat

 **MEDICINE CAT**

TWIGCLAW – stump-tailed brown tabby tom

 **WARRIORS**

VINESCAR – big gray-and-white tabby tom with long scar across his neck  
APPRENTICE, ASPENPAW  
BUFFY – long-haired cream she-cat with dark points and blue eyes  
PEPPERPELT – gray tom with darker flecks and yellow eyes  
ODDTAIL – tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with no tail  
APPRENTICE, TULIPPAW  
DEWFROST – gray she-cat  
APPRENTICE, SHILO  
SPECKLEFOOT – pale tortoiseshell she-cat  
MARSHCLOUD – small black-and-white she-cat with green eyes  
APPRENTICE, DUSTYPAW  
STOATSTRIKE – ginger tabby she-cat with very short legs  
APPRENTICE, GRAYPAW  
STRIPEDCLAW – dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes  
ADDERTOOTH – dappled gray tom with green eyes  
APPRENTICE, BIRDPAW  
NIGHTMOSS – black she-cat with pale green eyes  
GRAYCLOUD – dark gray tom with blue eyes

 **QUEENS**

MINTLEAF – dark ginger she-cat with ice-blue eyes, mother of Ratscar's kits (Snowkit, a white she-cat with ice-blue eyes, Gingerkit, a bright ginger tabby she-cat with yellow eyes, and Saffronkit, a reddish-brown tabby she-cat with white and with green eyes)  
DAWNPELT – cream-furred she-cat, mother of Pepperpelt's kits (Cinderkit, a pale gray-brown speckled tom with green eyes, Tawnykit, a reddish-cream tabby tom with a thick tail and yellow eyes, and Creamkit – a cream tom with pale yellow eyes)  
SMOKEFLIGHT – dark cream she-cat with green eyes, mother of Addertooth's kits  
MINKTAIL – pale brown tabby she-cat, mother of Stripedclaw's kits

 **ELDERS**

TOADFOOT – dark gray tom  
RATSCAR – brown tom with long scar across his back

 **WINDCLAN**

 **LEADER**

SEDGEWHISKER – light brown tabby she-cat

 **DEPUTY**

HEATHERTAIL – light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes, mother of Breeze's kits  
APPRENTICE, GORSEPAW

 **MEDICINE CAT**

KESTRELFLIGHT – mottled brown tom  
APPRENTICE, ICEFUR

 **WARRIORS**

EMBERFOOT – gray tom with two dark paws  
APPRENTICE, SHADEPAW  
CROUCHFOOT – black tom  
APPRENTICE, SPARROWPAW  
SUNSTRIKE – tortoiseshell she-cat with large white mark on her forehead  
APPRENTICE, OWLPAW  
DARKBREEZE – dark gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes, kit of Heathertail and Breeze  
NIGHTFERN – brown mottled she-cat with amber eyes, kit of Heathertail and Breeze  
WETWHISKER – dark tabby tom, formerly of ShadowClan  
APPRENTICE, PALEPAW  
QUICKHARE – pale brown tom  
HAWKBRIAR – tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat  
APPRENTICE, BEECHPAW  
HONEYHEART – golden-brown tabby-and-white she-cat  
SORRELSPIKE – brown-and-white tabby tom with spiky fur  
APPRENTICE, THICKETPAW  
TUNNELSHADE – dark ginger-and-white tabby tom

 **QUEENS**

LARKSONG – gray she-cat with green eyes (mother of Flintkit, a dark gray she-cat with ice-blue eyes, and Shardkit, a dark gray tom with ice-blue eyes)

 **RIVERCLAN**

 **LEADER**

MISTYSTAR – blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes

 **DEPUTY**

REEDWHISKER – black tom

 **MEDICINE CAT**

WILLOWSHINE – gray tabby she-cat  
APPRENTICE, DUSTPAW (a dappled brown tabby tom with pale green eyes)

 **WARRIORS**

MINNOWTAIL – dark gray she-cat  
MALLOWNOSE – light brown tabby tom  
ROBINWING – tortoiseshell-and-white tom  
PETALFUR – gray-and-white she-cat  
GRASSPELT – light brown tom  
APPRENTICE, SLUGPAW  
HERONSTRIKE – brown tabby tom  
APPRENTICE, SCALEPAW  
PONDBREEZE – dark brown tom with white paws  
APPRENTICE, CLOUDPAW  
YARROWLEAF – gray-brown tabby tom with bright yellow eyes  
APPRENTICE, STEAMPAW  
FINSTRIKE – sleek dark gray she-cat with dark amber eyes  
EELTOOTH – sleek dark gray tom with pale amber eyes  
LAKEBIRD – gray-blue tom with green eyes  
SWANFALL – fluffy white she-cat with golden eyes  
SLUSHFOOT – fluffy very pale gray-and-white tom with dark amber eyes

 **QUEENS**

DUSKFUR – brown tabby she-cat (mother of Mossykit, a pale gray-blue she-cat with amber eyes, Pebblekit, a light brown tabby tom with gray eyes, Rosekit, a dark reddish-brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes, and Poppykit, a black she-cat with green eyes)  
SILVERSHINE – silver tabby she-cat (mother of Graykit, a lithe gray she-cat with amber eyes, and Pikekit, a pale brown tabby tom with green eyes, and foster mother of Dewkit, a gray tortoiseshell, Duskkit, a tortoiseshell she-cat with pale yellow eyes, Graykit, a fluffy gray she-cat with white, and Stormkit, a long-furred pale gray tabby tom with dark amber eyes)  
LEAFDRIFT – pale gray she-cat, mother of Pondbreeze's kits

 **ELDERS**

GRAYMIST – pale gray tabby she-cat  
POUNCETAIL – ginger-and-white tom

 **BREEZE'S CAMP**

 **LEADER**

BREEZE – black tom with amber eyes, formerly of WindClan

 **GUARDS**

NIGHT – black she-cat, formerly of WindClan  
HOLLOW – dark brown tabby tom, formerly of RiverClan  
ICE – white she-cat with blue eyes, formerly of RiverClan  
SCORCH – huge pale gray she-cat with golden eyes  
SHREW – gray she-cat with black feet, formerly of ShadowClan  
SOL – tortoiseshell tom with pale amber eyes, formerly of SkyClan  
TREE – dark brown she-cat, formerly of ShadowClan  
STONE – pale gray tabby tom with blue eyes, formerly of ShadowClan  
FERRET – scrawny brown tabby tom with green eyes  
BLUEBIRD – blue-gray tom with yellow eyes  
HURRICANE – black tom with yellow eyes

 **MEMBERS**

SMOKE – black tom, formerly of ShadowClan  
SNOW – pure white she-cat, formerly of ShadowClan  
PINE – black she-cat, formerly of ShadowClan  
CROW – black-and-white tom, formerly of ShadowClan  
STRIKE – dark ginger tabby tom  
DRIZZLE – gray spotted tabby tom rogue with pale golden eyes  
STORM – black-and-white she-cat with dark amber eyes  
SPARROW – small white tom with yellow eyes  
TIGERLILY – dark brown tabby she-cat with pale green eyes  
TANSY – pale gray she-cat with blue eyes  
REDWOOD – ginger tabby tom with amber eyes  
DOTTY – silver spotted tabby she-cat  
PATCH – black-and-white tom with green eyes

 **QUEENS**

LIGHTNING – light ginger she-cat

 **CATS OUTSIDE THE CLAN**

RIZZO – very thin black she-cat with a curly pelt and green eyes, kittypet  
WINNIE – elderly long-haired, very pale gray she-cat with pale golden eyes, kittypet  
MAISIE – elderly small fluffy calico she-cat with pale blue eyes, kittypet  
RUCKUS – big black-and-white tom with heavily scarred muzzle and ice-blue eyes, rogue  
SCRAM – lanky pale ginger tabby she-cat with white and with amber eyes, rogue  
MOTH – small gray tabby tom with large ears, loner  
TENSHU – tortoiseshell she-cat with notched ears and amber eyes, loner  
HOOVER – pale brown tabby tom with pale green eyes, kittypet  
OAK – light brown tabby tom with green eyes, rogue  
COSIMA – tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat, kittypet  
SCURRY – gray she-cat with green eyes, loner  
WHISP – white tom with blue eyes, loner  
CHIPMUNK – small light brown tabby tom with amber eyes, loner  
VELMA – stout ginger tabby she-cat, kittypet  
COSMO – vibrant ginger tabby tom with white and with green eyes, kittypet

* * *

EDIT: Whoop, I went and forgot that Mossyfoot was dead and Graypaw needed a mentor. Oops. :P Fixed it now.

Yay, I've got Code of the Forest started with the allegiances. :D I know there's a bunch of new cat's on here, but I won't be explaining that quite yet. ^^ Except that to say that the new names listed in Breeze's group are cats who have always been there, they just weren't listed before.


	2. Prologue

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 5: Code of the Forest  
Prologue

 _We can't go on like this._

The cat didn't voice their thoughts. They never voiced their thoughts anymore these days. There were too many ears that were loyal to him, too many cats who would take their thoughts as a breach in loyalty. The cat knew what the consequences of appearing disloyal could be. And yet, every day when they woke to see the state of their fellow campmates, and the state of their leader, they thought the same exact thing as the day before. _We can't go on like this._

Breeze sat atop of the boulder at the front of camp, overlooking his cats like he did every morning. He liked to be above it all, keeping an eye on everything that happened below – and keeping an eye on the cats who chose to follow him. He had chosen some of his more loyal members to serve as his guards. They got the first pick of the fresh-kill pile, the best nests, and they got to boss around the other cats, keeping them in line. The cat could see some of them now, sitting around Breeze's boulder or by the fresh-kill pile, watching their campmates with narrowed eyes. Scorch sat beside Breeze's boulder, looking better-fed and plumper than most of their campmates, her golden eyes narrowed into slits. As one of the strongest and most loyal cats in camp, as well as the cat who had killed Ashstar, Scorch was Breeze's most trusted supporter. If this were a Clan, the cat guessed she would be the deputy.

The cat snorted. _If we were a Clan._ In an odd way, the group that Breeze had put together to destroy the Clans was actually rather similar to a Clan. They had a loose grasp of ranks, with Breeze's guards being distinctly separate from the regular members, and with Breeze himself as a clear leader. They sent out hunting and border patrols, and there was a fresh-kill pile. But there was no code of honor, or sense of loyalty to each other. There was only loyalty to Breeze, to the eradication of the Clans, and those wise enough to keep their mouths shut if they didn't agree.

When the group had started, they had been taken in by Breeze and Sol's speeches about the oppressive nature of the Clans, how they'd wronged the kittypets, rogues, and loners of the lake for so long, and how they had to rise up in order to take back what belonged to them. The cat had actually believed it themselves, in the beginning. The rogues had been fueled by self-righteousness when they'd attacked the Clans, believing they were setting right the wrongs that they'd suffered. Even when they'd trapped the Clans in walls of stone to burn to death, most of them somehow convinced themselves it was right.

But in the end, the Clans had escaped. They had disappeared, alive and free, and with this loss the rogues' sense of purpose had dissolved. They still couldn't find the Clans, and since they couldn't, there was nothing to defeat. Some of the cats were content enough that the Clans were gone, and they had the lake back. But Breeze was obsessed. He _had_ to destroy the Clans no matter what it took. With many of his followers losing interest in the chase, he had appointed his guards, and any cat who spoke out of turn got punished. That was when Breeze's cats started being motivated by fear rather than loyalty or purpose.

Now, leaf-fall was setting in, and hunting was getting harder, especially with the forest destroyed by the fire. Most of the cats were gaunt, their pelts dull and unwashed as they slunk around the camp. The cat felt a pang of sympathy as she noticed Sparrow trying to sneak towards the fresh-kill pile, only to be chased away by a snarl from Ice. Breeze had set certain times when his rogues could eat, claiming it was so every cat got their fair share and no one took more than another got. But it was in order to control them and make them afraid, and to give his guards more power.

The cat stood, tail lashing in sudden anger. This wasn't what they had agreed to when they'd joined Breeze's followers. This wasn't what they had ever wanted to be. They had to make things right. They had to make it better for every cat, and they had to make up for their own mistakes.

And they thought they had an idea of just which cat could help them.

* * *

Yay, we have the first part of the story for Book Five, the prologue. ^^ And we get to play another rousing round of "Guess Which Mystery Cat is Narrating The Prologue?" :P You'll find out eventually. ^^

So, I pretty much finished planning out each chapter. It was actually a lot easier this time, at least if I'm remembering previous times correctly. Everything fell into place rather nicely. This book should have a lot of fun new characters and some cool stuff for y'all.

Next chapter will be in Blazeheart's POV, and will hopefully be posted soon. There's a time skip from the end of Trail of Ashes, but not a huge one.


	3. Chapter One

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 5: Code of the Forest  
Chapter One

The breeze that wove through the ginger tom's fur carried a tinge of cold, enough to hint that leaf-fall might finally be on its way. He padded alongside a tiny gray she-cat, the two walking close enough together that their pelts brushed. Though greenleaf still hadn't ended, neither cat was as well-fed as they should be, especially the tom. His gaunt frame was cast into full light as they rounded a corner, the bright greenleaf sun shining down on them.

"I can't get used to this place," Ambertalon muttered, whisking her tail behind her in irritation. "The ground is too hard underpaw, and it just looks ugly. All the sharp angles, and plain gray stone."

"Not to mention the twolegs," Blazeheart added around a mouthful of brown fur. The pale ginger tom was carrying a rat between his jaws. The stench of rat made him want to gag, but he forced himself to keep carrying the foul thing. Stinky or not, it would make a decent meal for the elders.

From a few fox-lengths in front of him, a speckled tom called, "You get used to it." Pepperpelt was the leader of their patrol, sent along to make sure the warriors didn't get lost or fight. Blazeheart didn't know the tom very well, but knew better than to question his orders on this matter.

After all, the place that the Clans had settled had once been his home.

Blazeheart gave a disgusted glance around the tall dens and various thunderpaths of the twoleg city. It had been Tigerstar's idea half a moon ago to bring the Clans to the place where he had recruited many of his warriors. While it was a totally foreign place to many Clans cats, it would be equally foreign to Breeze and his rogues, which made Tigerstar hope the rogues wouldn't be able to find them there. His warriors who'd lived in the city before had done their best to teach the Clan cats the ins and outs there. Blazeheart could still barely tell one twoleg den from another, but it was starting to get easier to find his way around.

Pepperpelt led Blazeheart, Ambertalon, and Thicketpaw of WindClan through the winding twists and turns of the city. "Monsters don't use these alleys as often as the bigger streets," he was explaining to the apprentice as they followed the flat gray path. He flicked his tail towards a large, dark green mass that rested against the wall of a twoleg den. "Those are called dumpsters," he told Thicketpaw. "House folk will sometimes put food in there."

Thicketpaw wrinkled his nose. "Why? Is it supposed to be some kind of fresh-kill pile? It doesn't look like any twolegs are guarding it." Nightfern's kits had been promoted to apprentices a few nights ago. His mentor Sorrelspike had gotten a bellyache from eating bad twoleg food, so he was accompanying Pepperpelt's patrol instead of training.

The speckled tom shrugged. "I don't know. House folk can be mouse-brained. But it's a great place to scrounge up some food, if you're careful not to let twolegs see you, and there's usually plenty of rats hanging around that you can hunt."

Blazeheart tried to hide his disgust. They'd already had to scavenge from dumpsters a few times this past half moon when the hunting wasn't good enough, and he'd tasted enough of that twoleg food to know that it either tasted wonderful or disgusting. It was getting to the point where he honestly looked forward to eating rat if he could get it.

They left behind the tall twoleg dens, coming to some that were smaller and more colorful. "She said she'd meet us here," Pepperpelt mewed, sitting on the flat gray stone. "It shouldn't be too long. She's not the sort of cat to be late."

He was right. They had only been sitting there briefly when a very thin black cat emerged from the back of one of the dens. "Good, you're here," she mewed briskly. She had an unusually curly pelt over her oddly skinny frame, the tips of her fur turning upwards. A green collar hung around her thin neck, matching the bright green of her eyes. There was a fierce intelligence in her green gaze as it flicked to Thicketpaw. "Who is this?"

"Thicketpaw. He's a new apprentice, from WindClan," Pepperpelt explained. He turned to the apprentice, mewing, "Thicketpaw, this is Rizzo. She's an old friend from when I was a kittypet." His whiskers twitched. "She knows everything about anything that happens in this city."

Thicketpaw's eyes widened. "Really?" he mewed, sounding surprised. "But she's a kittypet!"

Rizzo stiffened, eyes flashing with anger. "And why shouldn't a kittypet know just as much as any other cat?" she asked coldly. Thicketpaw flinched away from her tone and glare, ears flattening in embarrassment. Rizzo waited a few moments, before apparently deciding he wasn't going to answer. "Pepperpelt is exaggerating, of course. No cat could know everything. But I like to keep on top of what's happening in the city – especially when a bunch of rude forest cats move in." Thicketpaw was looking more embarrassed than ever now. Blazeheart felt a rush of sympathy for the young tom, but knew better by now than to try and stick up for him – Rizzo didn't take kindly to cats criticizing kittypets, and she didn't let arguments go easily.

"Come on," Rizzo mewed briskly, whisking past the Clan cats. "I saw some house folk filling the dumpster behind a food den a few streets away. There should be plenty of food there, and maybe a rat or two if we're lucky."

The patrol set off again, Rizzo at the lead. After the Clans had moved into the city, they had been careful to stay away from twolegs, dogs, and monsters. But those weren't the only threats; the city was also populated with many rogues and loners who didn't appreciate sharing their hunting grounds with forest cats. There had been some brief squabbles over territory and hunting, until they were approached by Rizzo. The kittypet was apparently respected as some kind of authority by the cats of the city, being on good terms with kittypets, rogues, and loners alike. She had managed to negotiate peace between the Clans and the city rogues, explaining to the Clans where it was okay for them to hunt and what places they should leave alone. Now, the kittypet was something of a friend to the Clans, helping them hunt and patrol.

She led them to a small alley, which smelled strongly of many types of twoleg foods and meats that Blazeheart had no name for. He could guess why Rizzo the nearby den a food den. The dumpster in the alley was filled to the brim with all sorts of strange twoleg food. They started to approach, only to pause as they noticed two rats rummaging near the dumpster.

Rizzo was nearest one of the rats. She lowered into a crouch, slinking silently along the gray stone, until she was close enough to pounce. The rat squealed in surprise, fighting to throw off the skinny she-cat, but Rizzo managed to bring it down with a nip to the back of its neck. The other rat started to run, but Ambertalon managed to cut it off. She pounced, both she and the rat tumbling against the stones. The tiny she-cat struggled a few moments against the rat, before finally taking it down with a slice to the throat. It fell limp, allowing Ambertalon twist back onto her paws, backing away.

"Fox dung. I should have been quicker," Ambertalon grumbled, twisting around her head to lick her shoulder. "I would've gotten its spine without having to fight it."

Blazeheart stiffened when he noticed red trickling from her shoulder. "You're hurt!"

Ambertalon shrugged. "It's not that bad," she insisted. "Just a small cut."

"Still, better let a medicine cat see to it when we get back," Pepperpelt meowed. "Rat bites can get infected pretty quickly. I knew a rogue who died from a rat-bite infection some seasons ago."

Blazeheart shuddered at the thought, taking a step closer to Ambertalon and brushing his tail-tip against her pelt to assure himself she was still there. She glanced at him, looking half annoyed and half amused. "It's just a small cut, mousebrain," she teased. "I'm not going to fall dead right now." She gave an amused shake of her head. "I promise, I'll have Leafpool and Finchwing look at it when we get back."

Thicketpaw was looking curiously at Rizzo, the rat she had caught still lying at her paws. "You're a good hunter," he mewed to Rizzo, seeming curious, but cautious of angering her again.

"Thank you," she mewed briskly. "I'm friends with many of the rogues around here. A few of them taught me how to hunt when I was younger. I don't need to hunt to eat, but sometimes cats get too sick or old to hunt for themselves, and I like to help out when I can."

The patrol set their rats aside for the moment, turning their attention to the dumpster. There were many strange twoleg things inside that Blazeheart didn't recognize, and some of the food had turned to crowfood, but he kept his attention on what was still fresh. The patrol gathered whatever food they could carry, before leaving the dumpster behind. Rizzo did her fair share as well, carrying some sort of twoleg meat in her jaws while her rat was draped across her skinny shoulders.

They took their catch back to the place the Clans currently called home. The large twoleg den wasn't like the others; the stone walls were cracked and weathered with age, the scent of twoleg much fainter. Pepperpelt and the other kittypets had assured the Clans the den had been abandoned by twolegs for seasons. There were several holes in the walls of the den – windows, the kittypets called them. Some of them were still covered in a hard, see-through sheet of something, but it was broken or gone completely on most. One by one, the cats of the patrol leaped up onto one of the lower windows, leaping down again into the den.

The inside of the den was vast and empty, without the various mini-dens inside like the twoleg den in ThunderClan territory. It was all one space, a vast stretch of stone floor with great stone walls, and stone rafters above. The stone was all cracked and weathered, some splashes of color and lines on some of the walls, but nothing else. The kittypets couldn't guess the purpose of the den any better than the Clanborn cats. Floss had suggested it reminded her of her barn, only made of stone. Since then, the Clan cats had begun to call it the stone barn.

Blazeheart and the others carried their prey to the center of the den, where the new fresh-kill pile rested. It was lighter than Blazeheart would have liked, with how many cats they had to feed, but it was better than when they'd first arrived. It seemed the Clans cats were slowly getting the hang of hunting in the city.

Ambertalon departed to get her wound checked by the medicine cats, and Thicketpaw went to check on his mentor, but the rest of the patrol approached the far corner of the den, where the leaders had made their den. Over the last half moon, the cats had begun constructing dens by weaving branches collected from outside the city and leaning them against the stone walls. They padded through the entrance to the leader's den, peering at the nests inside.

Tigerstar was out hunting, but Bramblestar, Mistystar, and Sedgewhisker were sitting inside together. They all looked up as the patrol approached. "Rizzo," Mistystar greeted formally. "It's good to see you again."

The kittypet gave a small nod in acknowledgment. "I've been keeping an eye on any newcomers in the city," she mewed, jumping straight to the point. "I haven't seen any of those forest rogues you were talking about. But I did want to warn you – the alley by the fish-food place not far from here, where some of your warriors like to hunt? A new dog moved in near there, and I've seen it attack some rogues. Your cats might want to steer clear."

Confusion flashed in Mistystar's eyes. Blazeheart guessed she was trying to remember what alley Rizzo was referring to – the thunderpaths all looked the same to the Clan cats. After a moment, she gave a small nod. "I'll pass it along to my warriors," she mewed.

Rizzo gave a brisk nod. "Good. Now, I promised some rogues I'd help them find a good place to hunt. I need to get going. Send word if there's anything else you need – you all know where my nest is." With a final flick of her tail, she turned and padded away, leaving the stone barn through one of the broken windows.

Blazeheart dipped his head to the leaders, then padded away, joining the other warriors in their den, by far the largest den and still not completed, several gaps in the woven branches. Though the den was vast enough for each Clan could sit comfortably apart, they seemed to have given up on separating themselves by Clan, only assigning dens by rank.

It was nearing sunset, and the last patrols were returning to the stone barn for the day. Blazeheart settled in beside Snowfall, sharing a rat with him. His sister's best was empty; he glanced around curiously for her, until he spotted her sharing a pigeon with Lightfoot. His whiskers twitched. Silentstorm had been quiet since Jayfeather's death, clearly still grieving, but whatever spare time she had seemed to be spent with Lightfoot. Blazeheart was just glad to see her happy again, and he could plainly see that Lightfoot made her happy.

He was distracted from his meal as Ambertalon padded into the warrior's den, an odd look on her face. "Hey Ambertalon," Snowfall greeted brightly, lifting his muzzle to touch noses with his sister. "Heard you got into a scuffle with a rat today. I'm guessing the rat got the worse end of it." His whiskers twitched in amusement.

Ambertalon didn't respond, looking distracted. "Blazeheart, I need to talk to you," she mewed. "Alone."

A prickle of unease picked at Blazeheart's belly. "Of course." Mewing a quick farewell to Snowfall, the two cats left the warrior's den behind, retreating to one of the far corners of the stone barn, out of the earshot of any cat. "What is it?" he asked, trying not to sound too worried. _Is the rat bite infected already?_ he fretted internally. _Is she sick?_

Ambertalon hesitated for a moment, looking more uncertain than Blazeheart usually saw her. "I just finished talking to Leafpool," she started. "She checked over my rat scratch."

Blazeheart felt a greater rush of concern. "Are you okay?" he asked. "Is it infected?"

He tried to sniff at her shoulder, but Ambertalon knocked his muzzle away with her paw, some of her usual spirit flashing in her eyes. "I'm fine, mousebrain!" she insisted. "I told you that already, and I don't just say things to hear my own voice." She hesitated again, her momentary amusement fading. "No, it's not that. It's... well, Leafpool checked me over while Finchwing was making the dressing for my wound, and she told me..." She took a deep breath. "Blazeheart, I'm expecting kits."

Blazeheart blinked. Ambertalon's words didn't seem to register at first. He remembered how she had been slower catching the rat earlier, how she'd seemed a bit slower and clumsier in general lately, how she didn't seem as thin or ill-fed as the rest of the warriors. Slowly, the words began to sink in. _Kits. Ambertalon is expecting kits. Ambertalon is expecting... my kits?_

A tangled burst of emotions hit him like a blow, sending his mind reeling. Anxiety, excitement, fear, wonder - but most of all, joy. The joy spread and spread, filling him to the tips of his pelt, until there wasn't room for anything else. "You...you're serious?" he gasped, his pelt fluffing out in shock. "You're expecting kits? My kits? Our kits?"

Ambertalon lifted her chin, purring. "Yes," she confirmed, sounding a bit nervous. "Leafpool says they should be due in two moons. She wants me to move into the nursery today."

Blazeheart could hardly control the urge to yowl his joy to the skies. He felt his pelt quivering, his paws shuffling as he struggled to keep calm. "I didn't think... oh StarClan, this is amazing! I'm going to be a father!" He imagined playing with his kits, batting around a moss ball with them, letting them cling to his shoulders like Lionblaze had for him, telling them stories, and being there for them. He couldn't remember ever feeling so happy.

As the initial euphoria died down, he noticed the hesitation in Ambertalon's gaze. Blazeheart sobered a little, reaching out his muzzle to give her a soft lick on her cheek. "Are you alright?" he asked gently. He had always loved kits, but he knew Ambertalon didn't had his fondness for them. They had vaguely discussed the possibility of having kits some time in the future, but it hadn't been something they'd been planning for the near future. It was a big step and a huge responsibility – he couldn't blame her for being afraid.

Ambertalon took a deep breath. "I think I am," she mewed slowly. She lifted her head, her amber gaze locking with his, eyes burning with emotion. "I never really wanted kits before, and I didn't think I would ever want them – until I fell in love with you." She pressed her muzzle against Blazeheart's neck, purring deeply. "I love you, Blazeheart. And I know that I'm going to love these kits. I didn't think I would be ready for this, but now, I think I am." The tiny she-cat glanced at her belly, a fond gleam in her amber eyes. "I want to raise these kits with you."

Blazeheart rubbed his muzzle against her head, purring wildly as he gave a series of swift licks to her ears and head. "I love you too," he mewed between purrs. "I know you'll be an amazing mother, and I can't wait to raise these kits with you." He pulled back, paws suddenly surging with energy. "I can help put together your nest in the nursery! There was some soft twoleg stuff in some of those dumpsters, I could get some of that for your nest, and I can ask Silentstorm for some feathers from that bird she caught, and –"

"Slow down, mousebrain," Ambertalon teased, though she looked pretty excited herself. "I wouldn't say no to a few feathers, but there's no need to go crazy. I'm not a fragile little kittypet or anything."

Blazeheart's whiskers twitched. "Don't let Rizzo hear you say that," he teased. "But seriously, I just want to make sure you're comfortable." He pressed his muzzle against her cheek, purring loudly. "I still can't believe you're having our kits!"

Ambertalon licked his cheek, purring as well. "Me neither." She pulled back, her amber gaze glowing with love. "Ah, go ahead, get whatever you want for my nest. I won't mind." The tiny she-cat shook her head, sighing. "I guess that's eight moons sitting useless in the nursery for me. I have no idea what I'm supposed to do with my time."

Blazeheart's whiskers twitched. "We'll figure it out," he mewed. He pulled away, having to fight from bouncing like a kit. "I'll go get the things for your nest," he purred. "I'll be back soon!"

He bounded away, feeling happier than he ever had before. Ambertalon was expecting his kits, and while the Clans had lost their home, they were alive and safe for the moment. Things were starting to look up.

* * *

Here's the first chapter of Code of the Forest. We get a bit of fluff here to make up for the heavy drama from the end of the last book. ^^ And to top it all off, we learn that Ambertalon is expecting Blazeheart's kits. :D This should be fun. ^^ Blazeheart should be adorable as a father.

We get to see where the Clans have gone since the end of TOA. We also learn that the bonus chapters at the end of Waning Moon weren't just there to introduce us to the new ShadowClan members, but to introduce us to the city that the Clans would be staying in for this book. This is definitely going to be interesting to write, trying to describe a city from the Clan cats' perspectives.

We also get to meet Rizzo, who I think is going to be a fun character to write. ^^ I named her after the character from Grease (I did manage to sneak a Rizzo the Rat reference in this chapter, though. ;)), and I named a bunch of the other new nonClan cats after other characters from stuff.

Next chapter will be in Silentstorm's POV.


	4. Chapter Two

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 5: Code of the Forest  
Chapter Two

The tom crouched low, haunches bunched behind him, tail carefully still as he waited to strike. Silentstorm listened critically as he waited, then pounced, pushing off of his haunches as he launched himself at the squirrel. The squirrel didn't even get a chance to squeal before it was killed, falling limp under the tom's paws.

"Nice catch, Shadowpaw," Silentstorm called to her apprentice. Shadowpaw looked up, purring proudly. She and Lightfoot approached the apprentice, Stoatstrike waddling behind them. "Just try to sink a little lower into that crouch next time. You've really improved!"

Shadowpaw lifted his chin, tail curling in pleasure. "Thanks!" The tom had been Silentstorm's apprentice for over three and a half moons now, and he had progressed a lot from the uncertain young tom he had been. He was almost as tall and strong as his mentor now, and while his hunting still needed some work, he showed a lot of promise as a fighter. He also seemed a lot happier now with all four Clans living together, often checking on the queens and elders and making sure they had enough to eat, and he was always eager to explore their new environment. Silentstorm couldn't be more proud of him.

Lightfoot spoke up from beside Silentstorm. "Our pelts all stand out more here against the gray stone than they do in the forest," he pointed out in his soft mew. "And there's no undergrowth to hide in. We have to be even more careful to be downwind and out of sight of our prey."

Shadowpaw nodded, listening to the warrior's instruction with quiet interest. "I guess gray cats like Skypaw and Ripplepaw would have better luck hiding themselves out here," he guessed. The apprentice gave an annoyed flick of his tail. "No wonder Skypaw keeps bragging that he's picked up hunting here faster than the rest of us. Bossy know-it-all."

Silentstorm's whiskers twitched. Skypaw was by far the prickliest of his denmates, but it was clear he had inherited his mother's talent at hunting. "Be nice to your denmates," she chided gently, flicking her tail tip against Shadowpaw's flank. "Why don't you go ahead with Stoatstrike for a bit?" she suggested. "I know you wanted to explore some of the smaller thunderpaths up ahead. We'll meet you by the den with the overturned trash bin in a little while, and then we can head back to the stone barn."

Shadowpaw perked up. "Thanks, Silentstorm!" He let Stoatstrike lead him away, the short-legged she-cat taking him around a corner onto another alley. Silentstorm listened for their pawsteps, until she couldn't hear them anymore.

Lightfoot flicked his tail, purring. "Well, do you want to get some hunting done while they're gone?" he asked.

Silentstorm felt a slight thrill, her tail curling in pleasure. "Last one to the dumpsters is a crippled badger!" she crowed. The two cats took off, bounding across the flat stone beside the thunderpath. Silentstorm pushed herself as hard as she could, but Lightfoot was smaller and lighter in build, and quickly pulled ahead of the large she-cat. He slowed as he reached the dumpsters, radiating a smug air as Silentstorm pulled up behind him.

"You know, for a cat who's part WindClan, you're not very fast," Lightfoot teased in his soft mew, whiskers twitching. Silentstorm just grunted in reply, trying to get her breath back. She sat on the flat stone, letting her breathing slow.

"I'll have to let Darkbreeze give me lessons," she teased once she had her breath back. Lightfoot just purred his amusement. The tom was usually shy and quiet, but these days, he didn't seem to hold back around Silentstorm. The she-cat felt a warm thrill at the thought that he trusted her enough to be himself with her.

Once both cats were ready, they set off, heading for a clearing behind one of the twolegs nests that usually had plenty of mice hanging around. A fence of thin, woven thorns encircled the clearing, but the thorns were pulled away at one corner, giving Lightfoot and Silentstorm enough room to wriggle through.

The clearing was also made of flat stone, with several monsters sitting silently on the stone. The two warriors hung back, waiting warily for the monsters to move, but after a few moments they determined that the monsters were asleep. They snuck around them, heading closer to the twoleg nest, where they could scent mouse. The stone was cracking, grass and other plants pushing through the cracked stone. Old twoleg food lay around the edges of the twoleg nest, and Silentstorm could hear mice squeaking in the grass.

Silentstorm crouched low as she heard a mouse skittering, keeping her tail level and her belly low against the stone as she crept forward. She was pulling back to pounce, when the mouse gave a squeak and scurried away, disappearing behind the cracked walls of the twoleg den.

The blind warrior sat up with frustrated hiss. "Mousedung!" she hissed. "I keep scaring off prey today!"

Lightfoot padded over, a mouse hanging limply in his jaws. "It's harder to stay out of sight here," he mewed once he'd set down his prey.

"And I can't see whether there's anything hiding me," Silentstorm mewed ruefully. "I can't get used to how different the hunting is out here."

Lightfoot brushed his pelt against Silentstorm's, touching his nose to her ear. "You'll get used to it," he mewed softly. "We all will. It's just something new we all need to learn."

Silentstorm leaned against the tom, purring as something fluttered in her chest. Ever since the Clans had lost their home, Silentstorm had been spending more and more of her time with Lightfoot, hunting and patrolling with him whenever she got the chance. Before they'd moved to the city, Silentstorm hadn't known how she'd felt about the tom. But now that she was spending more time with him, she was getting to know the shy, gentle tom a lot better. He was quiet, and often preferred a peaceful silence to conversation, but had a surprising sense of humor when he did speak. He was highly perceptive of his Clanmates, and very compassionate, though often too uncomfortable to talk to many of them.

Now that she was getting to know him better, all of his little quirks, the way he plucked the feathers off of birds before he ate them, then distributed the among the nests in the warriors' den without telling anyone or asking for thanks, how he curled his tail whenever he told a joke, or pulled back his ears whenever he was uncomfortable, made her pelt bristle with delight. She had never felt that way about a cat before. While she knew it hadn't been very long, they had only been spending time together like this for half a moon, she looked forward to their time together more than she would have ever guessed in previous moons.

And yet, the happiness of getting to know Lightfoot better had not entirely chased away her worries over Shade and the prophecy. There hadn't been any sight of the rogues since the Clans had fled into the city, and no cat had seen any Dark Forest spirits since they'd fled the forest. Silentstorm had no way of knowing whether Shade had found a new body, or how grim things had become back in the forest. But the fact that they hadn't seen any Dark Forest spirits in the past half moon gave Silentstorm hope that Shade hadn't won just yet. She hadn't heard from Rock or Hollyleaf in that time either, which was worrying, but not overwhelmingly so. There wasn't much she could do these days but wait and see what happened next.

Suddenly, Lightfoot crouched, hissing, "Get down!" Silentstorm fell into a crouch, scurrying across the stone clearing until they were hiding behind one of the monsters. Silentstorm was confused, until she heard large pawsteps, and deep, chattering voices she couldn't understand as a strange scent drifted towards her. Her chest tightened in fear. _Twolegs!_

Silentstorm held her breath, pelt pressed against Lightfoot's as the twolegs approached the sleeping monsters. She could feel him trembling, his fear echoing hers. Neither one of them had ever encountered twolegs before. Normally, Silentstorm would be curious about meeting something new, but right now they were too close for comfort.

Her discomfort only grew as the twolegs approached the monster they were hiding behind. "In here!" she hissed, scurrying under the monster with Lightfoot right on her heels. They hid underneath as the twolegs approached the monster. There was a clicking sound, and to Silentstorm's surprise, she heard flaps on the sides of the monster swing open, the twolegs stepping inside the monster. She barely had time to wonder at that before she felt a sudden rumbling above her, the monster coming alive again.

Her eyes flew open wide. "Run!" Lightfoot screeched. They raced out from under the monster, barely avoiding getting flattened as the monster began to move forward, its giant paws just barely missing Lightfoot's tail. They tore across the stone clearing, reaching the gap in the fence and scrambling under it and through to the other side before the monster could reach them. They slowed as they reached the other side, listening for the monster, but its rumbling had grow softer, eventually fading to nothing. It was gone.

Silentstorm slumped against the flat stone, her breath coming in gasps as she tried to control her exhausted trembling. She had never been so close to a monster before. For a moment, she had thought that she was going to be flattened by its giant paws.

"That was... those things are massive..." Lightfoot gasped out between pants. He was beside Silentstorm, leaning against the larger she-cat as he trembled and fought to catch his breath. "I've never seen a monster before."

Silentstorm stiffened as she caught the tangy scent of blood. She twisted around, sniffing urgently at Lightfoot's pelt. "Are you okay?" she asked, voice high in worry. Lightfoot had been closer to the monster – what if it had hurt him and she hadn't noticed?"

Lightfoot shifted away from Silentstorm's concerned sniffing, flattening his tail awkwardly. "I'm fine, I'm fine," he assured her. "I just tore my pads a bit running from the monster." He gave a low, frustrated growl. "Mousedung. I left my mouse behind. Now we don't have anything to take back – it probably got crushed by the monster."

A wave of relief crashed over the she-cat. "You should just be glad it was the mouse instead of you," she murmured. "We can make up for the mouse later." Lightfoot lifted one paw, starting to lick his pad with a wince. "Here, let me help." After a moment of surprise, he held out his paw. She reached out her muzzle, rasping her tongue over Lightfoot's injured pawpads. She tasted blood and grit from the stones, but ignored the taste, cleaning the dirt from the wound.

Once the pad was clean, he took his paw away, turning his attention to the other paws. Silentstorm leaned against Lightfoot, pressing her muzzle against his neck. "I'm glad you're okay," she murmured.

He lowered his paw, twisting his muzzle around to rest on top of her head, a purr rumbling in his throat. "I'm glad that you're okay, too." he mewed softly. He sighed. "I'd never seen a monster before. I thought we were crowfood."

Silentstorm felt a flicker of unease. This place was so different from anything that the Clans knew. They would never have had to worry about a monster nearly flattening them while they were hunting in ThunderClan territory. They had scraped by for half a moon, but it was becoming increasingly clear that this was not a place that warriors could live easily. How could they hunt without being able to hide? How could they avoid the sight of twolegs? How could they keep out of reach of dogs, and rogues, and monsters?

She pressed her muzzle more against his neck and shoulder, sighing. "We'll get through this," she murmured, not sure whether she was trying to convince herself, or Lightfoot more. "We'll learn how to live here."

 **SCENEBREAK**

Lightfoot and Silentstorm were a little late getting back to Shadowpaw and Stoatstrike, but they arrived with enough time to reach the stone barn before sunset. Silentstorm managed to take down a startled starling that flew in her path. She carried it in her jaws as they leaped from the window into the stone barn, trotting towards the nursery.

The nursery was filled with nests, queens from all four Clans looking after their kits. Duskfur's kits were playing with Hazeltail's daughters, while the queen watched carefully nearby. Duskkit was playing as well, but her sisters weren't in the fray. Instead, they were cuddled beside Silvershine, snuggled beside the RiverClan queen's much-younger kits as they suckled. After Blossomfall and Cedarkit's deaths, Hazeltail had been too caught up in her grief for her mother, and too busy and old to look after more than two kits. Floss wasn't as motherly and nurturing as her sister, and Ivypool had been busy as a first-time mother with three kits of her own already.

It had been Silvershine of RiverClan who had stepped up to take care of the orphaned kits, giving them the same love and affection as her two young kits. Blossomfall's four kits clearly adored her, and helped her to look after Graykit and Pikekit. While they still grieved for Blossomfall, Silvershine seemed to be helping them get through their grief and be happy, healthy kits again. Silentstorm knew some of her Clanmates weren't happy about ThunderClan kits being raised by a RiverClan queen, but Silentstorm knew Silvershine well from her time in RiverClan, and knew that she was as good and gentle a mother as Blossomfall's kits deserved after everything they had been through.

Silentstorm passed her and the kits, instead making her way towards the newest nest. Before she could get very close, however, she was cut off by a growl. "If that starling is meant for me, I'd suggest turning around now," Ambertalon lashed her tail, showing she was serious, though there was a spark of amusement in her tone. "I've already got Snowfall and Blazeheart bringing me more prey than any cat could ever eat. Any more and I'm going to burst."

Silentstorm's whiskers twitched. She had intended to give the starling to Ambertalon, but she knew better than to argue with the fierce she-cat. After setting the starling by her paws, she purred, "Blazeheart just wants you to be well looked-after." Ambertalon had moved into the nursery two days ago expecting Blazeheart's kits. Silentstorm could hardly believe that her brother was about to become a father. She knew he would adore his kits with all of his might, and she couldn't wait to help look after them and play with them, like Jayfeather had done for her and Blazeheart.

"Any more well looked-after and I won't be able to move," Ambertalon grumbled, though there was definite fondness in her mew. "Joking aside, thank you for the offer, but I'm really not hungry. Try Leafdrift. She's moving into her nest at the far end of the den."

Silentstorm's ears perked with interest. "Leafdrift is expecting kits? Since when?" She hadn't caught the she-cat's scent when she'd entered the den, but the den was so full of queens and kits that it was hardly surprising.

"Since today, apparently," Ambertalon mewed with a shrug. "She's on the far side of the den – go take the starling to her, if you like." Silentstorm hesitated a moment. Then, with a shrug, she scooped up the starling, carrying it to the opposite corner of the den.

As she approached, she caught two familiar scents. Leafdrift was settling into a nest of feathers and moss, and standing next to her was a familiar tom. "Pondbreeze?" Silentstorm called as she approached. The two RiverClan cats looked up as she approached. "Helping Leafdrift move in?"

"Silentstorm!" Leafdrift lifted her muzzle to touch noses with the warrior, Pondbreeze doing the same from where he stood. The two cats had been young warriors when Silentstorm had come to stay with RiverClan, and had been her closest friends besides Eeltooth. "It's good to see you again."

"I heard you're expecting kits," Silentstorm mewed warmly. "Congratulations! Who is the father?"

Leafdrift ducked her head, purring shyly. "Pondbreeze is," she told Silentstorm. The tom was standing next to his mate, purring quietly.

Silentstorm felt a flicker of surprise. She'd never seen any indication of romance between Pondbreeze and Leafdrift while she was staying at RiverClan. But that had been over nine moons ago, and they had been close friends when Silentstorm had known them. Perhaps that had blossomed into romance in the moons since. "Then congratulations to both of you," she mewed warmly.

Pondbreeze hesitated. "Thank you," he mewed. Silentstorm was surprised to hear a touch of something like wistfulness in his tone. But it was gone as soon as she had noticed it. He leaned his muzzle down to lick Leafdrift's head, a fierce purr in his throat. "Our first litter. I can't wait to meet them!" There was no mistaking the fierce love in his tone, or the pride.

Silentstorm dipped her head. "I should go join the other warriors. But I wanted to bring you this." She nudged the starling towards Leafdrift.

The RiverClan she-cat perked up. "Thanks, Silentstorm!" She dragged the starling closer with one paw. "Pondbreeze and I can share this."

Silentstorm flicked her tail, mewing, "Very well. I'll see you later, but I have to go for now." She mewed a final farewell, then padded away, leaving the nursery behind.

She could hear cats moving around the stone barn, getting their meal for the evening and sharing tongues. Ripplepaw was dragging a sparrow off of the fresh-kill pile, while Skypaw was meowing about a new hunting technique he'd learned, sniffing about how Palepaw and Owlpaw hadn't learned it nearly as quickly as he had. Silentstorm fought the urge to roll her eyes. As much as she had chided Shadowpaw before, he was right. Skypaw _was_ a bossy furball. The two toms were the oldest apprentices in their den, however – Silentstorm imagined it wouldn't be long before Bramblestar made them warriors.

Silentstorm picked a hunk of twoleg meat off of the fresh-kill pile, then turned sharply towards the warrior's den, purring loudly. She had promised Lightfoot she would share a meal with him tonight. For once, thoughts of Shade and rogues and prophecies were far from her mind. She just wanted to enjoy the happiness she was knowing now.

* * *

Another chapter out. I can't promise that I'll keep updating this frequently, school starts in a week and I have packing to do. But we'll see.

Anyway, we get to see how Shadowpaw has been progressing, and more of Silentstorm and Lightfoot bonding. ^^ Romance is hard to write, but these two are honestly kind of adorable. And we also get a little shout-out to Pondbreeze's old crush on Silentstorm. It's faded now, and he was never in love with her, it was just a little crush. He loves Leafdrift dearly. But he does still sort of have a little bit of sadness thinking about Silentstorm, and what could have been.

Also, some stuff I forgot to confirm last chapter - the "stone barn" the Clans are staying in is an abandoned warehouse. Also, Rizzo is a pureblooded Cornish Rex. ^^

Can't think of what else I was going to say. Next chapter will be in Blazeheart's POV.


	5. Chapter Three

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 5: Code of the Forest  
Chapter Three

Blazeheart hopped up onto the broken window, leaping down onto the floor of the stone barn. Snowfall and Ripplepaw followed after him, Oddtail bringing up the rear. Ripplepaw carried a pigeon in his jaws, and Snowfall had some twoleg meat in his jaws, but Oddtail and Blazeheart hadn't caught anything. They'd been rummaging in a dumpster when a twoleg had come out and bellowed at them, shaking its paw. They'd fled before they could take anything more than the meat Snowfall had grabbed. Blazeheart was still frustrated by the loss as he padded towards the fresh-kill pile, watching as Ripplepaw and Snowfall deposited their catches.

"You did very well today," Snowfall mewed as Ripplepaw set down his pigeon. "Ambertalon would be very proud." Ripplepaw's blue eyes lit up, his tail curling in pleasure. Since Ambertalon was in the nursery now, Snowfall had taken over as Ripplepaw's temporary mentor for the past five days. But Blazeheart had the feeling he wouldn't keep the position for long – they had just come back from giving Ripplepaw his warrior assessment, and he had passed with ease. Blazeheart could see Skypaw chatting with Shadowpaw and Redpaw at the other side of the stone barn, and from the tom's smug expression, his own assessment had gone just as well.

Snowfall dipped his head, then padded away towards the leader's den. Blazeheart grabbed a mouse off of the pile, Oddtail slipping around behind him and grabbing a bit of twoleg food.

Ripplepaw pawed at a sparrow on the pile. "Do you think Ambertalon would like this?" he asked Blazeheart. "I want to bring her something to thank her. I wouldn't have passed the assessment without all of her training."

Blazeheart purred. "Actually, try this wren," he mewed, scooping a paw around a wren on the fresh-kill pile and sending it tumbling towards Ripplepaw. "They're her favorite."

Ripplepaw's eyes lit up. "Thanks, Blazeheart!" He grabbed the wren between his teeth, then padded off, tail held high.

Blazeheart watched him go with a purr. Ripplepaw was as big as his father now, and while his coat wasn't quite as long as Bumblestripe's, it had the same sleek softness as his. Ripplepaw also seemed to have his father's friendliness, but with a bigger sense of humor, and a certain boldness and snarkiness that Blazeheart suspected he'd learned from Ambertalon. The tom had also picked up her knack for fighting, eagerly drinking up every lesson from Ambertalon on the subject. Blazeheart knew that Ambertalon was fiercely proud of her apprentice, and would be the first to cheer his new name when he became a warrior.

He dragged his mouse off of the pile, then trotted to the side of the warrior's den, joining Sparktail, Seedlight, and Lilyfrost as the four cats ate and chatted. Sparktail seemed to be spending more time with Seedlight these days, and the two were sitting rather close together now. Blazeheart couldn't imagine wanting to be around the prickly tom that often, but he supposed to each his own.

"How is Daffodil's training going?" Seedlight asked Sparktail as he munched on a vole. The she-cat did seem to have a certain fondness in her gaze as she looked at Sparktail.

He shrugged. "It's pretty obvious she's got a kittypet's softness," he mewed bluntly. "She's clearly never hunted a day in her life. But she's eager enough, I guess." He paused, flattening his ears in embarrassment before murmuring, "How about Sunnypaw?" Blazeheart noticed that he shifted closer to the she-cat, and that Seedlight didn't move away.

"Very well," Seedlight purred. "Sunnypaw's the sweetest thing. She's always patient and ready to work, and she's really gotten serious with her training lately."

As Seedlight and Sparktail continued chatting, Blazeheart noticed a patrol entering through the broken window. Heronstrike of RiverClan was leading the patrol, with Hawkbriar and Beechpaw following, as well as Addertooth of ShadowClan. He noticed Rizzo leaping in behind them, a mouse held in her jaws. She deposited the mouse on the fresh-kill pile as the rest of the patrol left their prey.

Blazeheart mewed a quick goodbye to his friends, then padded towards Rizzo, waving his tail in greeting. "How's the prey running?" he asked in a friendly mew.

"Well enough," Rizzo mewed, sounding friendly enough in her own way. There was a certain sharpness to her gaze that never seemed to leave, even when she was trying to be friendly. "No signs of rogues either, which is good. But your warriors really don't seem to get how to keep away from twolegs and dogs out here. One of your cats nearly got flattened by a monster trying to catch a vole."

Blazeheart flicked his ears back in embarrassment. "We know how to survive well in the forest," he defended the Clans. "It's just really different here." Rizzo just flicked her tail in acknowledgment.

Suddenly, there was movement from the leader's den. The four leaders were coming of the den, Bramblestar bounding across the floor to an square wooden thing that they used for ceremonies. "Let all cats of all four Clans join here for a meeting of our Clans!" He saw Snowfall and Molefoot exiting the leader's den as well, wearing proud expressions. The other leaders sat beside the block, next to Bramblestar.

Rizzo perked her ears, looking mildly interested. "What's all this about a meeting?" she wondered aloud.

Blazeheart's tail shot up. "He must be making Ripplepaw and Skypaw warriors!" he realized aloud. He turned to Rizzo. "Come on, let's find a spot in the crowd," he mewed. He wanted to know what the proud kittypet thought of a warrior ceremony. Rizzo glanced at him for a moment, then shrugged, allowing the warrior to lead her to a spot near the leaders. He spotted Ambertalon and Ripplepaw exiting the crowd, making a beeline for Blazeheart. Ambertalon sat beside Blazeheart, Ripplepaw sitting on Ambertalon's other side.

Bramblestar waited until every cat was gathered to begin. "The Clans have lost much these past moons," he began. "We have been driven from our home, forced to hide in a city we don't know, and many good cats have died. But Clan life moves forward, like it always does. Two of my Clan's apprentices weren't even born in our camp, but instead in a broken twoleg nest. They are living proof that the Clans can survive any hardship, and today, we are honoring them with their warrior names." He lifted his chin, calling out clearly, "Skypaw, Ripplepaw, step forward!"

Ripplepaw rose to his paws, tail quivering in excitement. Ambertalon touched her nose to his ear, murmuring something encouraging, before Ripplepaw moved through the crowd, approaching Bramblestar. Blazeheart saw Skypaw meet him as they stood before Bramblestar. He also spotted Dovewing and Bumblestripe in the crowd, staring at their sons with pride blazing in their eyes. Dovewing was lucky to be alive for this – she had nearly died before her sons had even become apprentices. But thanks to her sons, she was alive now, pride in her gaze as she watched them become warriors.

The leader leaped off of the wooden block, standing before the apprentices. "I, Bramblestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors," he began. "They have learned the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn." He looked at each apprentice in turn, rumbling, "Skypaw, Ripplepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," Skypaw mewed, tail held high. There was something smug in the way he held himself, but Blazeheart couldn't hold it against him. He had been just as excited when he'd earned his full name.

"I do!" Ripplepaw called out clearly, voice ringing with pride and excitement.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names," Bramblestar announced. "Skypaw, from this moment on you will be known as Skystripe. StarClan honors your dedication and your loyalty, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan!" Skystripe dipped his head to his leader, who laid his chin over Skystripe's head. The warrior gave a respectful lick to Bramblestar's shoulder, then pulled back, allowing the leader to turn next to his brother.

Ripplepaw stood, frozen in awe, as Bramblestar announced, "Ripplepaw, from this moment on you will be known as Ripplewing. StarClan honors your humor and your courage, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan!" Ripplewing's eyes were shining with joy and pride as Bramblestar announced his new name. He dipped his head as well, letting Bramblestar lay his chin over his head.

"Skystripe! Ripplewing! Skystripe! Ripplewing!" The crowd began to cheer the names of the new warriors, Ambertalon taking up the cry first. After a few moments, Rizzo began to cheer as well. Blazeheart could see the fierce pride shining in Ambertalon's eyes as her apprentice was made a warrior at last, and in the eyes of Dovewing and Bumblestripe as they called their sons' new names. When the cheers began to die down, Ripplewing and Skystripe rejoined the crowd, coming to stand beside their parents. Dovewing covered Ripplewing's head in licks, while Bumblestripe laid his chin over Skystripe's head, purring loudly.

Once the cheers had died down, Bramblestar continued, "Skystripe and Ripplewing will sit a silent vigil tonight, as is tradition. But that isn't the only announcement for today. The other leaders and I have been talking about what we're going to do to get our home back."

From her spot beside Bramblestar, Mistystar called, "We know now that Breeze's rogues outnumber us. As we are now, we can't take them in a straight fight, especially not with the Dark Forest rogues on their side."

Tigerstar added, "I have spoken with my warriors who lived as kittypets here. They tell me that there's a chance we can recruit the local cats of the city to help us in our battle against the rogues."

That set of a series of shocked cries from the crowd. Blazeheart felt his ears perk in surprise, and Ambertalon seemed intrigued beside him. It was one thing to have the Clans fighting together as allies, and to have outsiders join the Clans to become warriors. But kittypets and loners and rogues fighting on behalf of the Clans?

"You want to let kittypets fight a warrior's battle?" Emberfoot called out. "How are we supposed to teach them to fight, and how are we supposed to trust rogues?" Other cats in the crowd were calling out similar sentiments.

Blazeheart heard an annoyed growl from Rizzo beside him. To his amazement, the she-cat leaped to her paws and bounded through the crowd, coming to stand before them in front of the leaders. "Do you fools want your home back or not?" she snapped, her curled pelt fluffed out in righteous anger. "I heard a lot about the honor of a warrior today, but right now you all sound like kits, whining that you don't have the right _sort_ of cat to fight beside. Right now, you don't have the luxury of being so picky. You should feel lucky if any cats choose to risk their lives to help you claim your home again."

Blazeheart flattened his ears back, embarrassment crashing over him like a wave. He could tell many of the other warriors felt the same; there were a lot of cats ducking their heads, or muttering to each other in shamed tones. There was something unyielding about Rizzo's green glare, and the arch of her thin back. But there were still grumbles in the crowd, and a few glares in Rizzo's direction. Not every cat seemed happy with the kittypet's boldness.

Sedgewhisker spoke from behind the kittypet. "Rizzo is right. We don't have a choice. If we're going to win this fight, we need more cats. It's as simple as that." Though some cats still grumbled, no more objections were raised.

Rizzo turned to face the leaders as Tigerstar addressed her. "Rizzo, we need your help. Many of my warriors lived here before, but even they don't know the city and its cats like you do. Will you help us find cats to fight beside us?"

The skinny she-cat regarded Tigerstar thoughtfully for a moment, her eyes narrowed. Finally, she grunted, "I can't say I think every cat here deserves my help. But most of you didn't deserve to get driven from your home." She dipped her head. "I'll help. What do you need me to do?"

It was Bramblestar who spoke now. "Every full moon, the Clans hold a meeting called a Gathering, meeting under a truce to discuss news from the past moon and announcing new kits, warriors, badgers or foxes threatening our territory, that sort of thing. The full moon is in ten days. If you could, convince as many cats as you can to attend the Gathering here in the stone barn, and we will explain our situation to them, and ask them to fight beside us."

Rizzo nodded slowly. "Alright. I can think of some cats I can talk to. I can't promise they'll be hardened fighters, but I can probably find cats sympathetic enough to be willing to help. I'll bring as many cats as I can to your Gathering, but after that, it's up to you to convince them." She held her chin up. "And you can count me in as well. The rogues you described are bullies and killers, and I won't ask my friends in the city to fight them without being in the battle myself. I'll help you get your home back."

Tigerstar dipped his head to the she-cat. "You have our thanks for that," he rumbled.

Rizzo gave a small nod, then mewed, "I should go. My house folk will be expecting me. But tomorrow, I'll start talking to some cats. I should have plenty with me by the time the Gathering comes." She gave a final flick of her tail, then turned and bounded away, leaping onto the broken window and jumping outside.

The meeting began to break up, the cats murmuring among themselves. "Can you believe we have to train a bunch of kittypets to fight?" Blazeheart heard Slugpaw muttering, and Owlpaw grunting in agreement. He felt more than a little uneasy himself. Would a bunch of soft kittypets really stand a chance in a fight against Breeze's rogues? And would they really be able to trust the city rogues? These weren't cats with a warrior code to guide them. They were strangers that could be just as dangerous as Breeze's rogues.

Beside him, Ambertalon flexed her claws, giving a satisfied growl. "I can't wait for the Gathering," she growled, sounding pleased. "Once we have enough cats on our side, we can finally put that scrawny rabbit-chaser in his place!"

Blazeheart nodded slowly, though his thoughts were still distracted. He wasn't sure exactly what kind of fighting force Rizzo's rogues and kittypets would make. But there was one thing she was right about – they didn't have a choice at this point. He leaned against Ambertalon, rasping his tongue over the top of her head. Very soon, he would have new kits, too small and young to protect themselves. He would have more to fight for than ever before.

He could only hope that he would be able to protect them from the rogues, the Dark Forest cats, or any other threats that came their way.

* * *

Wow, I'm really on a roll with these. XD

Yay, Ripplewing and Skystripe are finally warriors. ^^ It's definitely nice to see kits that were born in the course of the story finally earning their warrior names (unlike Silentstorm, Blazeheart, Sparktail, Lightfoot, and Finchwing, who were all technically born before the story started). To be clear, Skystripe is named partly after Graystripe, but mostly after the dark stripe of fur that runs down his back (which Graystripe had as well, so again, it connects back to Graystripe). Ripplewing is named after Whitewing, his grandmother, and for being a pretty chill, friendly cat (not the strongest connection, I just meant that a softer prefix for him like -wing worked better than something fiercer like -claw.)

We also learn that the Clans are enlisting the help of kittypets, loners, and rogues to defeat Breeze, and that Rizzo is going to help recruit them and bring them to the Gathering. This should be interesting. ^^

Next chapter will have a bit of a time skip (we're jumping straight to Gathering time), and will be in Blazeheart's POV once again.


	6. Chapter Four

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 5: Code of the Forest  
Chapter Four

Moonlight spilled into the stone barn through the windows, casting everything in a bright silver glow. Blazeheart was sitting beside Ambertalon, Silentstorm and Lightfoot on his other side. It was the night of the Gathering once more, and the Clans were waiting for Rizzo to arrive.

"What's taking her so long?" Rosepetal grumbled from farther back in the crowd. The night was wearing on, and the kittypet still hadn't arrived yet. No cat had heard from Rizzo for the past ten day since she'd agreed to recruit help for the Clans. Now, with how late it was getting, many cats seemed to be wondering whether she would come at all.

Heronstrike called out, "We should start without her! We can't wait to start the Gathering all night because of a kittypet!" Several cats murmured agreement.

Sedgewhisker looked uneasy, but Mistystar bristled, and Tigerstar sent a glare towards Heronstrike. "We will wait as long as we have to," he growled. "Rizzo is doing us a great favor, and we may end up owing our home and our lives to the cats she's bringing tonight."

No sooner had he spoken than a thin black form hopped onto the broken window, outline framed in the moonlight. "I'm sorry for being late," Rizzo called out clearly. "A few of the kittypets couldn't get out of their nests on time. But we're all here."

She hopped down from the window, landing neatly on the floor of the stone barn. As she stepped out of the way, more cats began to leap onto the window, flooding into the stone barn. Blazeheart's pelt began to prickle uneasily as he saw just how many cats were following Rizzo. He had expected a few cats, but this was nearly enough cats to fill a Clan.

He could hear uneasy murmurs from the rest of the gathered Clan cats as well, which parted to allow the new cats to mix in with the crowd. Some of the cats looked like hardened rogues, with scars and hostile glares, while others were on the opposite end, fat kittypets with soft pelts and collars on their necks. A tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with a pale purple collar sat near Blazeheart, looking warily at the battle-hardened warriors around her.

The leaders seemed surprised at the number of cats accompanying Rizzo, but recovered quickly. "Welcome, cats of all Clans, and cats of the city," Mistystar began, her ice-blue eyes glowing in the darkness of the den. "This Gathering has begun!" She lowered his chin, asking Rizzo, "How much have you explained?"

"I told them that a group of forest cats were driven from their home by vicious rogues, and that they need the help of fighting cats to get their home with that," Rizzo explained.

Mistystar nodded slowly. "Very well." She raised her voice again, announcing loudly, "I am Mistystar. The cats beside me are Bramblestar, Tigerstar, and Sedgewhisker." She flicked her tail towards each leader in turn. "We are the leaders of four groups of wild cats, called Clans; RiverClan, ThunderClan, WindClan, and ShadowClan. Each Clan lives in its own territory, defending its borders from foxes, badgers, and occasionally the other Clans. We all live under the same code of honor, and we meet under a night of truce every full moon to discuss news. Cats are trained to hunt and fight from six moons of age, and when they complete their training they become full warriors, hunting and fighting to defend the young, sick, and old of the Clan."

"Seven moons ago, a cat came Breeze came to us and told us that he would destroy us all if we did not give up our way of life," she continued. "He was once a warrior of WindClan, but was exiled for betraying his Clan during a battle. Now, he hates us for it. He told us to give up the warrior code, but we refused. He has assembled an army of rogues, and used them to drive the Clans from their territories one by one, until we were driven from the lake entirely and forced to hide here." She brought up her chin proudly. "We are determined to win back our territory, but only once we have enough cats to help us defeat Breeze. Will you help us?"

Blazeheart heard uneasy murmurs from some of the city cats. "How many cats are we talking about?" asked a sleek black tom. "I thought this was going to be a tussle with a few rogues, but if it was enough to beat a group this large..."

"It was a little more than the number of cats that were standing in this den right now," Bramblestar meowed clearly.

That set off a series of worried murmurs from the city cats. Blazeheart saw the tortoiseshell kittypet flattening her ears back, looking alarmed. Her pelt was soft and unmarked by scars – she looked like she hadn't been fought a day in her life. Blazeheart had to wonder whether such soft kittypets would honestly be up to the task of fighting Breeze's rogues.

"How vicious are these rogues?" a white she-cat asked. A soft blue collar sat around her neck. "How good are they at fighting?"

"All of the rogues we met were highly-trained in battle," Sedgewhisker answered.

A large black-and-white tom pushed through the crowd, staring at the leaders with narrowed ice-blue eyes. Beside him stood a lanky ginger she-cat. "I met you before," the tom grunted, staring at Tigerstar. "I saw you in the city with Buffy."

Tigerstar narrowed his eyes. "I remember," he mewed curtly. "You two told me to get lost, and that forest cats bring nothing but trouble."

The tom lifted his chin. "Maybe we were a little quick to judge," he grunted.

"Rizzo's a good cat," the lanky she-cat added. "If she's vouching for you, we're willing to listen."

The tom's eyes narrowed. "But all the forest cats I've known have only wanted to take what doesn't belong to them. Why should I believe your story about the rogues stealing your home? Why do you have any more right to that forest than they do? You said it yourself, you even fight amongst yourselves. Forest cats just fight and fight over nothing. Why does any forest cat deserve a certain territory any more than any other forest cat?"

The leaders stared at the tom, silent for a few moments. Finally, Bramblestar spoke. "Maybe we don't deserve our territory more than any other cat. But we didn't steal any land from rogues when we came here. Our warrior ancestors led us to the lake. It's the home they chose for us, after our old home was destroyed by twolegs and their monsters."

"And it wasn't just our home Breeze wanted," Sedgewhisker growled. "It was to destroy our whole way of life. He told us to either give up our Clans and turn rogue, or die, and when we refused he attacked. He killed WindClan's leader, my old leader, he killed loyal warriors..." her breath caught. "He even killed kits." Blazeheart knew she was remembering Yewkit, her son killed at the paws of Breeze's rogues. "All because we wouldn't give up the code he hated."

Something softened in the tom's ice-blue eyes. "I don't know you cats or your code," he grunted. "But if Rizzo trusts you, that says a lot. And no cat should tell other cats how to live."

"Especially not kit-killing murderers," the she-cat growled. She shared a quick glance with the tom, then looked back at the leaders. "We're in," she said with a firm nod.

A few other cats mewed similar sentiments, but other cats were shaking their heads. "I sympathize with your loss, but I didn't realize it would be this big of a fight," the white she-cat mewed. "I'm sorry."

"I know Rizzo, but I don't know you," the black tom added bluntly. "I don't want to get involved with a fight between a bunch of forest cats I know nothing about."

Blazeheart could see disappointment in the eyes of the leaders, but they didn't voice it. "We respect that," Mistystar mewed graciously. "This is a serious fight we're talking about. We would never force any cat to fight for us who didn't want to."

Cats began to pull away from the crowd, heading back towards the broken window. Blazeheart watched ruefully as many of the cats Rizzo had brought leaped up onto the window, and out onto the thunderpath beyond.

After a few moments, it seemed that every cat that wanted to leave had left. Blazeheart was surprised to see that, while a sizable number of cats had left, there was still a fair number of cats left. The kittypets, rogues, and loners that had stayed were probably enough to fill the warrior's den of one Clan. The black-and-white tom and lanky ginger she-cat had stayed, as had the tortoiseshell kittypet near Blazeheart. Blazeheart could see fear shining in her green eyes, but also determination.

"Very well," Bramblestar meowed after a while. "Is every cat still in this den agreeing to fight for us?" There was a few moments of silence, then mews of assent from the city cats. "Good. Now, Rizzo, why don't you introduce us to our new recruits?"

Rizzo got to her paws, beginning to weave through the crowd to reach each cat in turn. "First the rogues. You've met Ruckus," she nodded to the black-and-white tom, "and Scram," she flicked her tail at the lanky she-cat. "There's also Oak." She nodded to a light brown tabby tom. "They have established dens and territories. Oak usually lives in the forest, he just visits the city from time to time, but Ruckus and Scram both live in the city."

She continued on through the crowd, meowing, "For loners, we have Moth, Tenshu, Scurry, Whisp, and Chipmunk." Rizzo gestured to each cat in turn. Blazeheart couldn't help but notice that most of the loners were scrawnier than the rogues, with more suspicion in their eyes. "They don't have dens – they wander without a den to tie them down. They spend most of their time in the city, but don't pick one place to call their own."

"And for the kittypets," she concluded, "We have Winnie, Maisie, Hoover, Cosima, Velma, and Cosmo." Blazeheart looked over the last group with unease. Winnie and Maisie looked elderly, their muzzles shot through with silver – he didn't know how long they would last in a fight. Hoover was staring at every cat with wide eyes, like they would try to kill him any moment, and Cosmo looked as young as a new warrior, with a bright friendliness to his green eyes. The tortoiseshell who was near him was Cosima. She stood beside Velma, both she-cats looking uneasy, but still determined. Would any of these soft twoleg pets really be able to fight?

"Thank you for bringing us these cats, Rizzo," Bramblestar rumbled. "And thank all of you for coming." He looked thoughtfully at the city cats, his amber gaze sweeping over the kittypets. "I must ask – how many of you have experience in fighting?"

"We know how to take care of ourselves," Ruckus grunted, waving his tail towards himself and Scram. The she-cat gave a small nod of agreement.

Oak and some of the other loners mentioned fighting experiences as well. But all of the kittypets shook their heads, as well as Chipmunk, Moth, and Whisp. "We've never had to fight before," Maisie called, sounding apologetic.

"That's fine," Mistystar mewed, though she sounded uncertain. "We'll just have to prepare you as best as we can before we start any fight with Breeze."

Tigerstar was looking thoughtful. "Why don't we assign a mentor to each of these cats, except for the ones who've fought before, and have them trained like Clan apprentices?" he suggested. "It'll be a bit of work to juggle hunting and training with so many cats training, but I think we can manage it. And one-on-one training is probably the best way for these cats to learn how to fight."

The other leaders exchanged glances for a moment, before nodding. "Alright," Bramblestar mewed. "That seems like the best way to go."

All four leaders conversed quietly for a while before assigning mentors. Only Velma and Cosima were given ThunderClan mentors, the former going to Bumblestripe and the latter to Lionblaze. Moth was eyeing his new mentor, the intimidating Olivenose, uneasily, while Cosmo exchanged a friendly greeting with his new mentor Specklefoot. Winnie was the only cat with a WindClan mentor, assigned to Honeyheart. Blazeheart imagined the gentle she-cat would be patient with her elderly apprentice. Whisp and Hoover were given experienced mentors with Minnowtail and Robinwing in turn, but Maisie and Chipmunk were given Finstrike and Eeltooth, relatively young warriors.

"We will begin our training sessions tomorrow at dawn," Mistystar concluded.

Velma and Cosima exchanged a glance. "Our house folk keep all the doors and windows closed during the night," Cosima called. "We barely got out tonight. Usually, we can't get out of the house until a while after dawn."

Grumbles rose from the crowd of Clan cats. "Who cares about your stupid twolegs?" Yarrowleaf muttered nearby. Blazeheart saw Cosima send a glare the RiverClan tom's way.

"Can't you just stay here until we win the fight against Breeze?" Skystripe suggested. "If you're going to fight like wild cats, you should have to wake up as early as we do and be here whenever we need."

Blazeheart saw hackles rising on most of the kittypets, a few of them growling. "Just because we're on your side for this fight doesn't mean we agreed to be wild cats," Winnie called in her old, cracked tone. "We just want to help you."

"Who knows how long it's going to be before you decide to attack?" Velma added. The short she-cat was by far the plumpest of the kittypets, but there was a sharpness to her yellow eyes. "We can't abandon our house folk that long!"

"And weren't you just the ones complaining about cats telling you how to live?" Rizzo added, a dangerous hint of a growl to her tone. The thin she-cat was the only kittypet who had not been assigned a mentor, as she had some battle experience already. She would instead join the more general training sessions with the rogues and other loners. "Don't try to do it to us. We'll be at your training sessions as often as we can be, and that's a promise."

Blazeheart listened to the crowd, pelt prickling with unease. He was beginning to be less worried about whether these cats could fight, and more about whether the Clan cats and the city cats would be able to agree long enough to work together. Did the warrior code even allow for working with cats outside of it? Or was Clan pride too strong to let them accept the help of these cats? Blazeheart flattened his ears uneasily, pressing against Ambertalon's pelt.

Further grumbles arose, but Mistystar silenced them with a hiss. "Very well," she mewed. "Come as early as you can. Then, we will begin training you all how to fight."

"And then we can take back our home."

* * *

Wow, I got two done in one day. XD And I wrote both entire chapters in one day. Okay, it's two in the morning now so it's technically in two days, but whatever. I'm still awake, so it's still the same day. So there.

Anyway, meet the Clan's new allies! Let's play a little game of "How many references can Jayie sneak into a fanfic through the names of nonClan cats." :P It should be interesting to write the training of these cats. ^^

And hey look, it's those two cats from the bonus chapters in Waning Moon. ^^

Next chapter will be in Silentstorm's POV.


	7. Chapter Five

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 5: Code of the Forest  
Chapter Five

Silentstorm sat beside her friends, tail-tip twitching against the dusty floor of the stone barn. It was the morning after the Gathering, and soon their new allies would arrive to begin their training.

Specklefoot and Eeltooth had both been assigned apprentices, and were waiting for their apprentices to arrive. Finstrike had chosen to take her apprentice for a one-on-one session, while Eeltooth and Specklefoot had accepted the offer from their friends to help out with training. Darkbreeze was sitting beside Silentstorm, gazing curiously at the broken window, while Shadowpaw sat on Silentstorm's other side. She thought it might help the new kittypet and loner apprentices to see how a warrior apprentice trained. And besides, she needed to keep up with Shadowpaw's training.

Eeltooth's apprentice was the first to arrive. A small tom hopped down from the broken window, sniffing around curiously. "You're Eeltooth, right?" he asked. He padded up to Eeltooth, giving a friendly wave of his tail. "I'm Chipmunk. I'm your... I think the word is apprentice?"

The RiverClan tom gave a small nod. "You've got the right word. It's good to meet you, Chipmunk." The warrior sounded polite, but a little uncertain. Silentstorm guessed it was odd to the tom that his first apprentice was a loner who was older than him.

Eeltooth gave quick introductions to the other warriors, and the conversation turned to general chatter as they waited for Specklefoot's apprentice. It took a while for the kittypet to arrive, but finally, Silentstorm heard him leap up onto the broken window, jumping down to join them. "Sorry about that," he mewed. "My house folk locked the window. I couldn't get out until they woke up and opened it."

"It's alright," Specklefoot mewed, rising to her paws. "Cosmo, I presume? My name is Specklefoot, and I'm your new mentor." She touched noses briefly with Cosmo.

"Great to meet you!" Cosmo purred. Silentstorm could hear the tinkling of a bell on Cosmo's collar. "I'm ready to start training."

Specklefoot's whiskers twitched in amusement. "I can see that." She waved her tail, mewing, "These are my friends, Silentstorm, Eeltooth, and Darkbreeze, and their apprentices Chipmunk and Shadowpaw."

Each cat greeted Cosmo in turn. "It's nice to meet you," Darkbreeze purred in her friendly mew, the others following suit.

With every cat ready, the group set out, leaving the stone barn behind them as they began walking through the city. "There's one of those stone clearings nearby," Specklefoot mewed. "We can use that as a training ground for now."

Specklefoot led them all to stone clearing, coming to stand before the rest of the group. "Well, I think the best way for us to start this is for the two of you to show us what you can already do."

"Chipmunk, Cosmo, I'd like you two to attack each other," Eeltooth mewed gruffly.

Silentstorm heard Cosmo's tail fluff out in surprise. "You want us to hurt each other?" he mewed, sounding alarmed.

"Of course not," Specklefoot mewed patiently. "We keep our claws sheathed during any battle training, and no biting. Just attack each other with your claws sheathed, and show us what you've got. Once Eeltooth and I know how much you already know and what we need to teach you, we can move forward from there."

Cosmo perked up again, seeming relieved. The two toms circled each other for a few moments, seeking to measure each other. Then, Cosmo pounced. Chipmunk tried to dodge, but wasn't quick enough, and Cosmo sent them both tumbling to the ground. Chipmunk managed to twist around enough to bat Cosmo around the ears with his front paw. Cosmo was using his greater weight to keep the smaller tom pinned, but his grip was clumsy enough for Chipmunk to pull his hindquarters free. The loner began kicking as Cosmo's soft belly fur, while Cosmo struck his paw against Chipmunk's face and shoulders. Chipmunk pulled free enough to send the two tumbling again.

"Enough." Eeltooth's mew was enough to make Chipmunk and Cosmo pull apart. The two toms sat, wincing from their bruises. Silentstorm couldn't help a flicker of unease. Both toms had fought poorly, with the inexperience and clumsiness of kits. How long would it take to shape these two, and the rest of their allies, into a fighting force that could take on Breeze?

Eeltooth and Specklefoot exchanged a brief glance, seeming to be thinking along the same lines. "Not bad," Specklefoot mewed tactfully. "Chipmunk, you had the right idea with kicking his belly. Let's start today's lesson by showing you how that move should be done, and how you could have avoided Cosmo's pounce at the beginning. Silentstorm, do you want to demonstrate with Shadowpaw?"

The blind she-cat dipped her head. "Sure thing." She and her apprentice moved to the open area between the gathered cats, Cosmo and Chipmunk pulling back so they had room. The warrior and apprentice circled each other for a few moments. Then Silentstorm leaped towards her apprentice, mimicking Cosmo's earlier leap.

Instead of trying to dodge, Shadowpaw let her bowl into him. He let the momentum carry him as they tumbled, timing it so that when they thumped to a halt, he was on top. The tom was still smaller than his mentor, but it took Silentstorm a few moments to overpower him and flip him under her. She kept his hindquarters pinned with the same loose grip that Cosmo had, allowing Shadowpaw to easily pull his hind legs and hips free.

Immediately, the apprentice began pummeling at Silentstorm's belly with rapid-fire jabs from his hind paws, throwing the she-cat off balance. Silentstorm grunted in pain as Shadowpaw's paws hit the soft areas of her belly, stumbling off-balance enough for Shadowpaw's hind legs to kick around upwards, sweeping Silentstorm's front legs out from under her. She fell forward onto her chest with a groan, allowing Shadowpaw to wriggle free and twist around, triumphantly pinning his mentor's shoulders to the ground.

"Well done." Shadowpaw paused his attack, stepping back so his mentor could get up. Silentstorm pushed herself up to sitting, closing her eyes as Specklefoot mewed to the new apprentices, "That was a little more complicated than we'll expect you two to pick up right away. But you saw how Shadowpaw used his opponent's attack to his advantage, using the momentum from Silentstorm knocking him over to maneuver himself on top. And then, how he hit hard enough at her belly to knock her off-balance, and immediately took advantage of her being off-balance before she could get her footing back. We'll practice some similar moves today, some basics to help you learn how to use your opponent's moves against them."

The two toms listen with rapt attention, ears perked and pelts bristling with excitement. "Yes, Specklefoot," they mewed together, Chipmunk more respectful and Cosmo more eager.

While Specklefoot and Eeltooth started walking their new apprentices through a simple exercise, Shadowpaw approached Silentstorm, head tipped. "Are you alright?" he asked, sounding concerned. "You don't look so good."

Silentstorm hadn't moved from her sitting position, her eyes closed and her tail fluffed out uncomfortably. "I'm fine," she mewed, though her stomach rolled in protest. "I'm just feeling a bit woozy. I might've strained myself during the fight."

The apprentice didn't seem convinced. "You seemed slower than usual just now," he mewed carefully, seeming wary of offending her. "It's usually a lot harder to beat you in practice."

"Well, maybe you're just getting better at fighting," Silentstorm teased, flicking her tail against Shadowpaw's flank affectionately. In truth, though, she knew he was right. She had felt a bit off all day, just sort of groggy and tired, and now she felt a bit nauseous and woozy, her stomach clenching in on itself. "It could just be from getting kicked, I don't know."

Shadowpaw waited a moment longer, then just flicked his tail uneasily. "Okay," he mewed, still not sounding convinced. "But maybe go see Leafpool and Finchwing if it gets worse?"

Silentstorm reached out her muzzle, giving him a swift lick between the ears. For an apprentice who had initially seemed disappointed to get the blind warrior as a mentor, he seemed pretty concerned about her now. She couldn't help but be touched. "I will," she promised, though the thought of visiting the new medicine cats made her uneasy.

She trusted Leafpool's skills, and the she-cat always had seemed more at home among herbs and plants than in the warrior's den. Finchwing seemed to be taking to his new training well as well, befriending Dustpaw and Icefur and dedicating himself to his studies. But the thought of visiting them as medicine cats felt too much like saying another goodbye to Jayfeather, admitting that he really was dead and she would never be healed by him again. It was too much to think about.

Silentstorm opted out of further demonstrations, choosing to sit to the side and listen as Eeltooth and Specklefoot paired up their apprentices with fighting partners. Chipmunk was paired with Shadowpaw, while Cosmo was paired with Darkbreeze. Eeltooth and Specklefoot had them practice a series of simple dodges and swipes while facing off the Clan cats, giving critiques and advice while watching their apprentices. Silentstorm called out an instruction or critique to Shadowpaw every now and then as well.

Shadowpaw was careful to be easy on the loner, not fighting Chipmunk with the same intensity he often did Silentstorm four moons into his training. Chipmunk was mostly quiet, seeming intent on memorizing the moves. Darkbreeze and Cosmo were quiet too, until Darkbreeze stepped on Cosmo's tail when he failed to dodge her attack. "Sorry!" she mewed quickly.

"It's alright," Cosmo said in a good-natured mew, sweeping back his tail. "It's my own fault for stop bumbling around like a three-legged dog."

Darkbreeze's whiskers twitched. "That's a little harsh," she joked. She tipped her head, seeming to consider. "Dogs are clumsy enough on their own. Maybe more like a three-legged rabbit..."

Cosmo gave a surprised _mrowrr_ of laughter. "I thought forest cats were supposed to be vicious brutes who eat kittypet bones for dinner," he mewed.

Silentstorm's ears flitted back, her nose wrinkling. "Ew," she commented from where she sat. "Who would want to eat bones? That would be all crunchy and gross."

Darkbreeze reached out a paw to nudge Cosmo's shoulder, teasing, "Besides, we only eat the bones of kittypets foolish enough to stray into our territory. You're still in the city, so I guess we can spare you."

Cosmo purred his amusement. "Good to know." He crouched, wiggling his haunches. "Now come on, I think I almost got that move last time."

They continued to practice, but now they traded chatter between bouts. Silentstorm was struck by how similar the two cats were in their cheerfulness and easy senses of humor. Cosmo seemed more eager and exciteable, and more naive, but his energy allowed him to banter easily with the cheerful Darkbreeze.

 _If only the rest of the Clan cats could get along this well with our allies,_ Silentstorm thought ruefully.

 **SCENEBREAK**

They trained until the sun began to dip downward in the sky. Once they were done, Cosmo set off for his twoleg nest. Chipmunk offered to accompany the Clan cats back to the stone barn. "I still have plenty of time to catch something for an evening meal before finding my nest for the night," he mewed.

Shadowpaw's ears perked in interest. "Find a nest? So you don't sleep in the same nest every night?" He sounded confused, as if he couldn't imagine not knowing where he was going to sleep every night.

"Nope," Chipmunk answered easily. The tom seemed fairly easy-going, accepting his mentor's critiques and the others' questions with patience. "I don't mind the idea of staying in one spot like some loners, but I don't want to have to fight to constantly defend one nest and one territory on my own. So I just find a different safe place to sleep each night." He flicked his tail, mewing thoughtfully, "Maybe I can finally set my own territory with my own nest once I learn how to fight from you cats."

He accompanied them to the edge of the stone barn, then backed away, dipping his head. "I better get going if I want to find something to eat. I'll be back by dawn tomorrow, Eeltooth." He gave a short nod to his mentor, then turned and padded away, leaving the Clan cats alone.

They leaped up onto the broken window, landing back on the floor of the stone barn. Other cats had already returned from their own training sessions, and were settled in groups around the floor of the stone barn, eating prey and sharing gossip.

Silentstorm headed for the pile, grabbing a mouse off of the top and heading quickly away. She still didn't feel entirely well, though resting during the training session had certainly helped. The thought of eating anything bigger than a mouse was making her stomach roll. She carried the mouse to a group settled nearby, where she could scent Lightfoot.

He greeted her with a purr, touching his nose to hers as she lay beside him. Silentstorm began to take small, careful bites of her mouse as she listened to the other warriors talking. "I didn't get very far with training Velma today," Bumblestripe was saying. "We had to leave the alley we were training in because twolegs kept yowling from a high-up window."

"But how was training before that?" Dovewing asked. She was lying beside her mate, sharing a pigeon with him.

Bumblestripe shrugged. "As well as you can expect from the first session, I guess. But she kept taking a lot of breaks, and she seemed surprised when I said how long we were training."

Silentstorm felt a prickle of unease, listening to her Clanmates talking about the kittypets like that. "Well, she's never had to do hard work like battle training before," she mewed reasonably. "Of course it'll take some time for her to get used to it."

"I know that," Bumblestripe mewed. "I just hope she knows what she's getting herself into. Those rogues are going to fight to kill, and it's going to be a vicious battle. Our allies have to be ready for what's coming."

Silentstorm couldn't bring herself to disagree, but she still felt uneasy. She knew that many of the Clan cats were unhappy with the thought of kittypets and loners helping them at all, and the training session today had told her that it was going to take a while to get these cats battle-ready. Would the Clan cats be able to stand being allied with kittypets and rogues for that long? Or would their stubborn feelings of superiority over cats who didn't follow the warrior code make them alienate their allies?

She was distracted from her thoughts by Lightfoot's mew. "How long do you think it will take to get them ready for the attack?"

Bumblestripe shook his head. "Who knows? We need them to be at pretty much warrior-level, and that's going to take a few moons, at least."

"Well, at least our territory isn't going anywhere," Dovewing mewed, though she sounded uneasy. "And maybe it'll be better to give the forest time to heal from the fire after all."

"Can you see it now?" Lightfoot asked.

She shook her head ruefully. "It's too far away. Or maybe it's just the city." Dovewing gave a frustrated shake of her pelt, her ears flicking around as if trying to catch a sound. "There's so much going on, so many monsters and twolegs, so much sound and awful smells, they're filling up my head and keeping me from seeing much past the borders of the city." She sighed. "It feels like the Three really have been defeated this time. Lionblaze can't do much to protect us against twolegs or monsters, I can't see our enemies, and Jayfeather..."

Silentstorm flinched, feeling a fierce pang of grief. Dovewing fell silent for a moment. "Sorry," she murmured softly.

"It's alright," Silentstorm said in a strained mew. Lightfoot leaned against her side, touching his nose to her ear. She took some comfort in his closeness, but her thoughts were still dark. Dovewing was right. The Three hadn't been able to stop the Clans from losing their home. And now, she wasn't sure she could protect the Clans either. She had no idea what Shade was up to, or what Rock and StarClan needed her to do. If their kittypet and loner allies couldn't learn to fight, or refused to fight for them, they would never win their home back. And Shade would be able to take a new body.

She held back a sigh. _Hollyleaf, where are you?_ she wondered, her tail twitching anxiously. _I've never needed your guidance more._

* * *

Yay, another chapter is done. ^^ I had to pack for college today, but I still got this one done. :)

So, we see the kittypets and loners start their training, and we get to know Cosmo and Chipmunk a little better. Will they and the others be able to learn how to fight, and will they want to fight for the Clans after spending enough time with them? :P

Next chapter will be in Silentstorm's POV again. Get used to that, we'll be with her for a while. :P


	8. Chapter Six

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 5: Code of the Forest  
Chapter Six

"Darkbreeze, just hear me out!"

Silentstorm's ears perked in interest. She, Finstrike, and Lightfoot were about to leave for a dawn patrol, on their way from leaving the stone barn, when Silentstorm caught the sound of a familiar voice. She gestured to the other two, leading them around the corner to a small side alley.

Nightfern and Darkbreeze looked up as the patrol rounded the corner. "Oh, hey there," Nightfern mewed, her tone unusually high-pitched. She was standing in front of his sister, her pelt fluffing out uncomfortably. "What's going on?"

Darkbreeze glanced uneasily at her sister. "Nightfern, why don't we tell them?" she suggested quietly. Her voice was rough and hoarse from coughing – the she-cat had fallen ill the previous day. It wasn't anything serious, but she had been confined to the medicine den until it had passed. "I trust Silentstorm. Maybe they can help us."

"Help you with what?" Finstrike asked, her tone cool.

Nightfern hesitated, then sighed, her pelt starting to lie smooth. "I had a dream last night," she mewed quietly. "I heard Graykit crying out for me, and then there was this horrible snarling, and his wailing was cut off." She took a shuddering breath, her pelt trembling. "He's in trouble! I have to go to him, and get him away from the rogues, and my father. I've waited too long as it is."

Silentstorm's pelt fluffed out in surprise. "Your dream... did it come from StarClan?" she gasped. She hadn't heard a word from Hollyleaf or any other StarClan cat since they had fled the forest. After over a moon of silence, she had begun to think that StarClan was either ignoring her, or unable to reach her. But if Graykit really was in trouble, did that mean StarClan was trying to help them once again? She felt a rush of hope. _Maybe Shade hasn't silenced them yet!_

"I don't know for sure," Nightfern admitted. "I didn't exactly see or hear any cat other than Graykit. But..." she trailed off, then mewed quietly, "After Graykit faded from my sight, I found myself standing on the moor. I saw a crow's feather drifting on a breeze. I followed it, and it led me to a large hollow where many cats were gathered. I couldn't make out their pelts or their faces, but I knew it had to be the rogues. And if it was a crow's feather showing me the way..."

Darkbreeze stiffened. "Crowfeather," she whispered, her mew cracking with grief. "He's trying to help you save Graykit."

Nightfern turned back to the patrol. "I'm going to save Graykit today, no matter what any of you say," she growled firmly, something fierce and determined in her growl. "But maybe... in the dream, there were other pelts I felt against mine when the crow feather led me forward. Maybe that means I'm supposed to bring more cats with me to save him." She lifted her head, her tone imploring. "Please, will you come with me, and help me save my son?"

Before Silentstorm could say anything, Finstrike pointed out, "Isn't this something you should tell the leaders about, before you go running off and getting yourself killed?" Silentstorm lashed her tail, growling in warning, but the she-cat's tone wasn't unkind.

"And what about Wetwhisker?" Lightfoot added. "Does he know about this?"

Nightfern sighed. "He left for a patrol before I woke up this morning," she mewed. "I haven't been able to find him. And I can't wait – Graykit needs help now!" She took a shuddering breath, clearly trying to control her panic. "And if I tell the leaders, who's to say they'll believe me? They stopped us from saving Graykit once. I'm not risking it again."

Silentstorm turned towards Lightfoot, the tom's tail twitching anxiously. The leaders had ordered all Clan cats to stay in the city until they were ready to fight the rogues. If they did this, they would be breaking the warrior code, and the orders of their leaders, and it would be highly dangerous. There was a great chance they would be caught, either by the rogues or by Dark Forest cats. This could all end horribly with their deaths.

But if the dream truly came from StarClan, and if Graykit really was in danger, then they had to try. She sighed. "I'll go."

"Me too," Lightfoot murmured. "We can't ignore a kit in danger, and if your dream is right, then he needs help."

Silentstorm gave a grateful flick of her tail, then turned to the last member of their patrol. "Finstrike?" she asked uneasily. While she had learned to respect and get along with the she-cat during her stay in RiverClan, she knew Finstrike wasn't the most trusting cat. Would she really agree to help save Graykit, or would she go back to the stone barn and tell the leaders what they were up to?

Finstrike was standing stiffly, her tail lashing back and forth in a slow rhythm. Finally, she muttered, "You always were too nosy for your own good, Silentstorm. But now you've dragged me into it." She sighed, her anger seeming to deflate. "I can't very well let you go running into Breeze's camp to get yourselves killed alone," she said. "I'll come with you."

Nightfern seemed to relax a little, relief heavy in her tone. "Thank you," she mewed. "We should get going now. We can make it to the moor by sunset if we move now, and we shouldn't be noticed missing until it's too late to stop us."

She started to lead the group away, only for Darkbreeze to mew indignantly, "Hey! I'm coming too." The she-cat padded after them, only to slow as a cough escaped her.

Nightfern turned back to her sister, flicking her tail against Darkbreeze's pelt. "Not in this state, you're not," she mewed briskly, though there was a note of worry in her tone. "You're in no state to travel all the way to the moor."

"I'm not letting my sister run off into danger without me," Darkbreeze mewed, trying to sound firm, but mostly sounding exhausted.

"It's not like I'll be alone," Nightfern pointed out. "And someone has to stay behind to cover for us."

Darkbreeze hesitated, then a sneeze broke off whatever reply she was going to make. Once she'd gotten her breath back, she sighed. "Fine. I guess I wouldn't be much use on a stealth mission right now anyway." Her tone became serious, worry clear in her words. "Be careful. Your kits still need you."

"I promise I'll be careful," Nigthfern mewed soothingly.

Darkbreeze turned next to Silentstorm, padding closer to the blind she-cat. "I trust you, Silentstorm," she murmured. "Please, bring my sister back safely. I can't lose her again."

Silentstorm dipped her head to her best friend. "I promise," she murmured.

Once she'd said her goodbyes, Darkbreeze took off, padding back towards the stone barn. Nightfern waited until she was gone, then turned and padded away, leading her patrol away from the stone barn.

 **SCENEBREAK**

Silentstorm hadn't realized how uncomfortable she was in the city until they had left it behind, and were in the forest once again. She felt as though a weight had lifted off her back, leaving her feeling lighter and freer than she had in moons. Even though the forest was unfamiliar to her, pine and marsh rather than her forest of oak and birch, she felt more at home than she had in a moon. She lifted her muzzle, taking in the clean, wild scents of the forest, feeling the foul stench of the city roll off of her pelt like rainwater.

Lightfoot seemed to guess what she was thinking. "It's good to be away from the twolegs and their monsters," he murmured. "If only just for a little while." He seemed unwilling to talk too much around the other cats, his pelt pressed against Silentstorm's, but even he seemed more relaxed now that they were out of the city. "I missed being able to hunt among the trees."

"And not having to watch out for monsters and dogs every time I'm away from camp," Silentstorm agreed. Finstrike and Nightfern didn't join the conversation, the former bringing up the rear and the latter leading at the front.

The mood grew more serious as they passed into what had been ShadowClan territory. Silentstorm remembered how the Clan territories had been crawling with Dark Forest spirits and rogues last time they had been there. But all was quiet as they passed the border and began walking through the pine forest.

Suddenly, Lightfoot stiffened. He lowered into a crouch, pulling himself slowly forward, until he rushed forward with a strong leap. There was a startled cry, then silence. The tom returned to the other cats a moment later, a magpie clasped between his jaws.

Finstrike stiffened. "That's ShadowClan's prey," she pointed out stiffly.

Lightfoot pulled his ears back, seeming uncomfortable. "Sorry," he murmured. "It was just instinct."

"Come on," Nightfern mewed softly, approaching the other cats. "It's not like we're stealing from ShadowClan while they're living here. This is rogue territory right now. And besides, we'll probably need something to keep us going if we're going to make it to the moor."

"It's already dead," Silentstorm pointed out. "Might as well eat it, rather than let it go to waste. And we can't let any rogues know we were here either. A fresh kill just left sitting out with Clan scent on it would be pretty suspicious."

Finstrike hesitated, then sighed. "Alright, fine," she grumbled, though she sounded more weary than angry. "I guess I don't mind stealing from those fox-hearted rogues."

They all began to dig in, sharing the magpie between them. Silentstorm turned away after a few bites, her stomach starting to feel queasy again. She had been feeling odd in the seven days since the Gathering. Even after taking it easy with her last few training sessions with Shadowpaw, and being careful what she ate, she wasn't feeling any better. _But I can still help Nightfern get her kit back,_ she thought stubbornly. _I'll let Leafpool check me over when we get back, but only after we save Graykit._

They traveled through ShadowClan territory for some time after that, until they finally reached the RiverClan border. Finstrike perked up when they did, picking up her pace with her pelt fluffed out. "Thank StarClan," she breathed, gazing around as they passed into RiverClan territory. "It feels like it's been seasons."

Silentstorm took a deep breath, tasting the scent of reeds and water on the air. Though she would never admit it, especially to Finstrike, there was a certain relief for being in RiverClan territory again for her as well. It was certainly more familiar to her than ShadowClan territory, and she had many good memories from there.

She felt a sudden rush of sympathy for Finstrike. ThunderClan had only lost their home a moon ago, but RiverClan had lost their territory a full moon and a half before that. No wonder Finstrike was so happy to be back. Nightfern had lost her home even earlier, Silentstorm recalled, but the she-cat made no sign of relief or joy to be in Clan territory again. She was silent and determined as she led them over the border, her tail flicking back and forth in an anxious rhythm.

Finstrike took the lead once they were in RiverClan territory, guiding the patrol confidently through the more open land. They had to crouch among the ferns at one point when a rouge patrol passed by soon after they entered the territory. Silentstorm held her breath, waiting for the patrol to notice them, only for the rogues to pass right by them without noticing them. Silentstorm caught the scent of squirrels and mice drifting from the rogues, and realized they were carrying prey. They were probably too distracted by the prey-scent to notice the Clan cats hiding nearby.

They waited for a while after the rogues passed by before Finstrike took the lead again, guiding them onward. Nightfern fell in beside Silentstorm and Lightfoot, her head held low. "Are you okay?" Silentstorm asked in a low voice. The she-cat had always been quieter than her sister, and Silentstorm certainly didn't know her as well as Darkbreeze. But she seemed unusually quiet now.

"I'm fine," Nightfern murmured. Her voice was usually soft, but there was a hardness there now. "I just want to get to Graykit quickly." She was silent for a few moments, before admitting, "I'm worried about what we'll find when we get there. It's been three moons since Graykit was stolen. Who knows what's happened to him in that time?"

Silentstorm felt a flicker of worry, but brushed it away. "Dovewing never saw any cat hurt Graykit," she pointed out. "I'm sure he's fine."

Nightfern shook her head. "That's not what I mean," she mewed grimly. "What if... what if he's forgotten about me? Or somehow thinks I've abandoned him?" She glanced back at Silentstorm, her tone morose. "Wetwhisker and I would have tried to save him earlier. But our kits were still so young, they needed us, and the Clan was so vulnerable. Any time Wetwhisker patrolled the WindClan border, there were so many rogues and Dark Forest cats. There wasn't a hope of getting in unnoticed. I hope... I hope he doesn't think we just abandoned him." Her voice cracked with emotion. "I wanted to save him more than anything in the world."

Silentstorm felt a rush of sympathy for the she-cat. She didn't know what it felt like to have her own kits, but she had seen how protective Nightfern was of the kits she had left, and she could only imagine how devastating it was to lose Graykit and be unable to save him. She had to wonder how much the loss of Graykit had weighed on Nightfern's mind since he had been stolen, and how many times she had wanted to go and save him.

She only hoped that Nightfern was wrong, and Graykit didn't blame her for not coming back for him.

 **SCENEBREAK**

The sun was beginning to set by the time they finally reached the moor. Nightfern took the lead again once they had passed the WindClan border, picking up the pace. "They aren't at WindClan's camp anymore," she called back to the others. "Or any of the other camps. In my dream, I saw them all together in one big camp, on the moorland a little past our border."

Silentstorm was beginning to grow uneasy with how easy their journey had been so far. Before the fire, the rogues had seemed to patrol the territories they own regularly, and the Dark Forest cats seemed to run rampant. But they had only encountered one rogue patrol so far, and no Dark Forest cats. As much as it was more convenient for the Clan cats, Silentstorm couldn't help but worry. Why had they encountered so few rogues, and where were the Dark Forest cats? She felt more exposed on the moorland as well, with fewer trees and less undergrowth to hide her. The warrior stayed close to Lightfoot, letting her pelt brush against his for comfort as they made their tense journey through the moor.

Nightfern finally led them to the edge of a large hollow, the cats crouching among a nearby clump of bracken to hide. "This is where the crow feather led me," Nightfern said in a low mew to the other cats. "This is where the rogues are keeping my son." A growl entered her tone on the last words.

Silentstorm perked her ears, trying to get a sense of the hollow. She could hear cats moving around, but they didn't seem very active, mostly lying around. "There aren't any dens that I can see," Lightfoot murmured to the blind she-cat. "It's a large hollow not far below our paws, the ground dipping away. Cats seem to just be lying around in groups. I can see a fresh-kill pile, and I think maybe some of those bushes have been turned into dens. A lot of cats are lying around. Some are eating prey, but a lot aren't, and there seems to be a group of cats guarding the fresh-kill pile from the others."

Silentstorm's nose wrinkled in confusion. "Why would the rogues need to guard the fresh-kill pile from each other?"

"Maybe Breeze doesn't trust his own cats," Finstrike mewed darkly. "Serves him right."

Nightfern was silent for a few moments, her tail twitching as her gaze swept across the hollow. Suddenly, she stiffened. "There!" she hissed. Finstrike and Lightfoot craned their heads to get a look, while Silentstorm hung back, listening. "I see him. He's eating a mouse, near the edge of the hollow."

"If he's near the edge, do you think we can get to him without the other cats noticing?" Silentstorm asked quietly.

Nightfern's voice had gone higher in excitement. "I think we can!" She turned to the other cats, mewing, "But not if there's too many of us. Finstrike, Lightfoot, why don't you two stay up here and keep watch while Silentstorm and I sneak down to talk to Graykit? You can come help us if something goes wrong."

Finstrike and Lightfoot swapped a glance, then gave firm nods. As Nightfern shared a last few words with Finstrike, Lightfoot pressed his muzzle against Silentstorm's neck. "Be careful," he murmured.

Silentstorm purred quietly, marveling again at how much she'd come to care for this quiet tom. "I will," she promised.

Once they'd said their brief goodbyes, the she-cats set off together, circling around the edge of the hollow. Silentstorm could no longer feel the sun's heat on her back, and assumed it had set. She hoped the darkness would be enough to hide them; she felt completely exposed without any undergrowth to hide her. But Nightfern seemed comfortable enough, leading her around the edge of the hollow without a word.

Finally, they reached a clump of heather at the edge of the hollow. Silentstorm hid behind it, while Nightfern crept forward, her belly brushing against the grass. Silentstorm could hear a cat nearby, gnawing on a mouse and tail swishing against the ground. She assumed it was Graykit.

Once she was close enough, Nightfern hissed, "Graykit!"

The sound of gnawing stopped, and there was silence for a few moments. "Who's there?" a young voice asked. Silentstorm was surprised to realize it was not the young squeak of a kit, but a more mature tone. She had forgotten that the so-named "kit" would be the same age as his littermates, who were now apprentices.

"It's me, Nightfern," the she-cat called quietly. "It's your mother."

There was another pause. "My mother?" There was confusion in Graykit's tone, but also a note of hope. "It's really you?"

She heard a shuddering breath of joy from Nightfern. "Yes, it's me dear one!" The she-cat approached her son, sniffing his pelt curiously. Graykit seemed to stiffen as her muzzle brushed against his pelt, but relaxed after a few moments, letting her inspect him. "Oh, I missed you so much! You're not hurt, are you?"

"No," Graykit mewed. He sniffed Nightfern curiously for a few moments, before brushing his muzzle against hers with a weak purr. "They just kept me from leaving. They told me that you didn't care about me anymore – I think they want to train me to help them hunt and fight."

Nightfern leaned her muzzle atop of her son's head, purring quietly. "I'm so sorry, Graykit," she murmured. "I'm sorry I didn't come for you sooner. I would have come." She pulled back, telling him, "Your littermates and your father are waiting for you. I can get you out of here now, and we'll take you back to the Clan."

"Really?" The raw hope in Graykit's tone was painful to hear. "I can really go home?"

She hesitated. "Not home, dear one. But somewhere safe from the rogues. But we have to be quiet."

Graykit rose slowly to his paws, following his mother as she led him away from the camp and towards the clump of heather. Graykit's eyes widened as they ducked behind the heather, and he saw Silentstorm. "Who are you?" he mewed, seeming intimidated by the large she-cat.

"This is Silentstorm," Nightfern explained calmly. Graykit stiffened in surprise. "She's a friend, and she's here to help us escape." After a moment, Graykit just nodded silently.

"Come on, the others will be expecting us," Silentstorm murmured. She knew the longer that Graykit was missing from the camp, the more of a chance there was that it would be noticed, and the rogues would sound the alarm.

They began to creep away, circling around the edge of the camp. It was all quiet from the rogue's camp, and they had almost reached Lightfoot and Finstrike again. Silentstorm was beginning to hope that they would get away safely after all, and that everything would be alright.

Then, without warning, Graykit threw back his head and screeched, "Intruders!"

* * *

Well, this was certainly an eventful chapter. ^^ I won't comment on much of anything yet - you'll just have to see what happens next chapter.

Next chapter will be in Silentstorm's POV.


	9. Chapter Seven

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 5: Code of the Forest  
Chapter Seven

In an instant, the three cats were surrounded, the rogues roused by Graykit's call. They circled around the Clan cats, cutting off their escape, snarling and hissing but not attacking. Silentstorm pulled closer to Nightfern, crouching with her back arched and fangs bared in a snarl. Nightfern tried to push Graykit behind her, standing protectively in front of him, but he wiggled away from her, bounding away to stand among the rogues.

"Graykit!" Nightfern wailed, but the young tom paid no heed. He bounded towards one of the rogues, who crouched over him, sniffing over his pelt.

"Are you okay, Gray?" Silentstorm stiffened as she recognized the rogue's voice. _Breeze!_

Graykit assured the tom, "I'm fine, Breeze." He gave the leader a friendly bump of his muzzle against his legs, purring.

"Leave my son alone, traitor!" Nightfern shrieked, her back arching and fangs bared in her fury. Silentstorm pressed against her as the rogues advanced towards them, and she could feel how the she-cat trembled in fury.

Breeze faced his daughter calmly. "Hello, Nightfern," he mewed in an easy tone. "Long time, no see. I must say I wasn't expecting to see Clan cats in my camp tonight, much less my own daughter." He paused for a moment, a new note of interest in his tone as he added, "And Lionblaze's daughter. Well, well. This just gets better."

Silentstorm hardly heard what he was saying. The blood was pounding in her ears, blotting out sound, rage filling her up to the tips of her pelt and making her tremble. " _You killed Jayfeather!_ " she roared, all of her grief and anger flooding back at once. She hated the cat in front of her more than she had ever hated any cat in her life.

"So I did," Breeze mewed, a note of cold triumph in his tone. "I must ask, how do the Clans feel, now that their precious Three have been broken apart and defeated?"

Rage nearly overwhelmed Silentstorm. Blinded by fury, she lunged forward, intent on attacking Breeze. Before she could reach him, however, Graykit intercepted, snarling and striking Silentstorm across the muzzle with unsheathed claws. Silentstorm took a step back, confused, still furious but unwilling to attack the young tom.

"Graykit, what are you doing?" Nightfern gasped, sounding desperate. "He stole you from me!"

Graykit looked away from Silentstorm for a moment, sneering at his mother. "Why should I care?" Gone was the quietly hopeful young tom he had been moments before. In his place was a cold, sneering cat, with a note of arrogance to his mew. "I get treated better here than I ever did in that stuffy nursery back in WindClan. There's no warriors telling me what to do, or littermates pushing me around. I can do whatever I want here."

"Graykit..."

"It's not Graykit anymore!" the young tom snapped. "I'm Gray now." He glanced back at Breeze, lifting his chin proudly. "Breeze has really taught me a lot. I'm not just some kit here. Breeze is personally teaching me how to fight, and how to lead." He gave a low growl, tail lashing. "A real leader can make cats do _anything_ , if they're just strong enough. Breeze is teaching me what it means to really have power."

Nightfern was no longer shaking in fury, but in fear. "Graykit, how can you talk like this?" she whispered, her mew cracking. She seemed devastated, as though watching everything she knew crumble before her eyes. "Breeze is a monster. He stole you from your family!"

"Why should I care about family?" Gray asked with a scoff. "I'd rather be in charge of cats as a rouge than an apprentice following every warrior's orders in some stuffy Clan."

Nightfern just gaped at her son, seeming to have run out of protests. Breeze purred his amusement, his tail-tip brushing over Gray's flank. "It's nice to have my kin around me again," the tom commented, a smug edge to his mew. "And Gray here has certainly shown more promise and loyalty than either of my daughters." He sighed, a tinge of something like sadness in his mew as he added, "It's a shame neither you or Darkbreeze could understand why I did what I did, and couldn't join me. I could have raised you better."

"We were kits when you left WindClan!" Nightfern hissed. "You were never there for us! Were we supposed to be more loyal to a father we'd never known, who betrayed his own Clan for the Dark Forest, than to the Clan who raised us?"

"I would have been there for you if I could have been," Breeze mewed quietly. He almost sounded regretful. "I could have showed you... WindClan never cared about me. Crowfeather ignored me, he was never proud of me, and the rest of the Clan was just the same. They never gave me a real chance. The Dark Forest was different, they taught me strength. And I could have taught you." He lapsed into silence. After a few moments, he spoke again, the cold smugness back to his tone. "Well, no matter. I have your son's loyalty. And now, you and Lionblaze's brat will die together." He gave a flick of his tail, and the rogues advanced towards Silentstorm and Nightfern, snarling.

Silentstorm crouched beside Nightfern, each warrior facing a different direction and guarding the other's back. But even as they prepared for battle, Silentstorm felt only grim despair. They were hopelessly outnumbered. There was no way they were making it out of this fight alive.

She rose to meet the first rogue, snarling as she wrapped her forelegs around him, twisting and struggling until she was able to wrestle the smaller tom towards the ground. But she was quickly overtaken by more rogues, who sent her tumbling to the ground. One she-cat stood over her, pinning her shoulders. She tried to twist around and give a timely kick to the she-cat's belly, but her legs didn't swing around quickly enough, and another rogue managed to pin them. Silentstorm thrashed and writhed, trying to pull free, but there were too many rogues. Claws and teeth dug into her pelt, making her screech. There were simply too many cats for her to fight.

Suddenly, two new yowls sounded. A weight was dragged off of Silentstorm, and claws dug into her pelt, pulling her up onto her feet. She stumbled a little as she regained her footing, a voice hissing in her ear, "Run!"

Still half-stunned, Silentstorm obeyed, stumbling away as the cat led her forward. She just barely managed to keep up as they fled the fight, leaving the hollow behind them. The sound of paws thundered behind her as the rogues gave chase. "This way!" another voice hissed. Silentstorm allowed them to lead her down a slope, into a thick clump of brambles. They all crouched among the brambles, waiting as the rogues approached.

There were snarls of fury and frustration from the rogues. It sounded like only a pawful were still following them, and they had managed to pull far enough ahead that it took a few moments for Silentstorm to make out their snarls. The breeze was blowing towards the Clan cats, carrying their scent away from the rogues.

"Where did they go?"  
"We lost sight of them over the slope!"  
"They must have kept going!"  
"Over here!"

The rogues thundered on, past where the Clan cats hid. They were silent for several moments, before one cat breathed a sigh of relief. "They're gone." Silentstorm recognized Finstrike's voice.

A cat was leaning against her. She recognized the scent of Lightfoot, and realized he had been the cat who had led her away from the hollow. "Thank StarClan," he breathed, leaning his pelt against Silentstorm's. "I thought we weren't going to get you out of there in time."

Silentstorm couldn't speak at first. She was still too winded from their escape to do much more than lean against Lightfoot and fight to get air back into her lungs. Lightfoot pushed his head under Silentstorm's chin, murmuring gently to her and letting her lean against him while she fought to get her breath back.

When she finally had her gasping under control, she rasped, "How _did_ you get us out of there?"

"We surprised them," Finstrike answered gruffly. She was sitting beside Nightfern, letting the stunned she-cat lean against her while she kept an eye out for the rogues. "When we realized the rogues had been alerted, we circled around and waited for a chance to get you out of there. I jumped in and made as much of a fuss as I could, distracting them just long enough for Lightfoot to drag them off of you and Nightfern and get you out of there."

Silentstorm sighed. "We were lucky to get out of there at all," she murmured. "Thank you, by the way, both of you."

Lightfoot just purred as he pressed against her, while Finstrike shrugged. "It's not like we could leave you there to get shredded," she grunted.

Silentstorm fell silent again, just leaning against Lightfoot and trying to rationalize what had just happened. They had not only failed to save Gray, but it turned out he was perfectly happy with Breeze, and had been willing to sit back and watch his mother die.

Thinking of that reminded her of the mother in question. Nightfern was still leaning against Finstrike, perfectly motionless except for the trembling of her tail. "Nightfern?" Silentstorm called out gently. There was no response. "Are you alright?"

For a few moments longer, the she-cat didn't speak. Then, in a very small voice, Nightfern mewed, "My son hates me."

"Nightfern..." Silentstorm trailed off, unable to think of anything to say that could possibly make up for Gray's betrayal.

"He _hates_ me," she whispered. "He would rather be loyal to that... that _fox_ , and watch his own mother die..." She gave a choked cry, slumping against Finstrike. "I should have come for him earlier!" she gasped, her shoulders heaving with sobs as she broke out of her shock. "Why didn't I try to save him before? This is all my fault, if I had just brought him home sooner, we could have been there for this, and he wouldn't be... wouldn't be..." Her words gave way to a low wailing, her pelt shaking as she leaned against Finstrike.

Silentstorm almost expected Finstrike to push the enemy warrior away – while she wasn't that insensitive, the she-cat had never been very friendly to cats outside of her Clan. But to her surprise, Finstrike rasped her tongue over the top of Nightfern's head, trying to steady the trembling she-cat. "I'm so sorry, Nightfern," she mewed in a calm tone. "I can't imagine. But we can't risk the rogues hearing us." Nightfern hardly seemed to hear Finstrike, but her wailing did grow softer, fading to a low moaning.

Once the WindClan she-cat had grown quieter, Finstrike looked up at Lightfoot and Silentstorm. "We won't be able to get back to the city tonight," she said in a low voice. "We need somewhere safe to spend the night. We're too exposed here on the moor, and RiverClan territory won't be much better."

"And the rogues will surely be checking the camps for us," Lightfoot added quietly. "

Silentstorm thought for a moment, before mewing, "I think there's somewhere in ThunderClan territory we can stay. Come on."

They checked one last time for rogues, making sure they were alone, before setting off for the forest. Lightfoot led the way, while Nightfern and Finstrike brought up the rear, the WindClan cat lapsing into a stunned silence again. Silentstorm tried to keep up with Lightfoot's brisk pace, but her paws kept stumbling when she tried to match his pace. Her wounds hurt and slowed her down, but it felt like there was something more than that as well. Her entire body felt oddly heavy, like she was trying to trudge through heavy snow.

Lightfoot seemed to notice, and slowed his pace, coming to walk beside Silentstorm. "Are you okay?" he asked, tone heavy with concern.

"I'm fine," Silentstorm murmured, trying to ignore how uncomfortable she felt.

"No, you're not." Lightfoot's voice was quiet, but firm. "You haven't been okay the last few days. You've been slower, and you haven't been eating as much." She didn't answer, unable to argue. "Are you feeling sick?"

"A little," Silentstorm admitted. She could feel her breath growing short, growing winded by the time they passed from the moor into the forest. When had she gotten this out of shape, that she got this tired this quickly?

Lightfoot touched his nose to her cheek. "You should check in with Leafpool when we get back," he murmured, still sounding worried. Silentstorm stiffened. "I know you miss Jayfeather." She paused, surprised at how shrewd the tom was. "But that's no reason to let yourself stay sick without getting treated."

She sighed, deflating a little as her will to argue slipped away. "I know," she murmured quietly. "I'll see Leafpool the second we get back."

 **SCENEBREAK**

Crickets were beginning to chirp, night sweeping over the forest, as they passed over the ThunderClan border. They nearly ran into a rogue patrol at one point, but Finstrike managed to warn the others just in time, and they hide behind some ferns until the rogues left. Silentstorm took the lead, taking the other cats to an abandoned fox den not far from the border.

"I found this when I was training Shadowpaw one time," she explained to the others. "It'll be a bit cramped, but there haven't been foxes here in seasons, and it'll keep us hidden until we've rested and can sneak back to the city."

Finstrike curled her lip. "Great. I get to sleep surrounded by fox-stench all night." For all her grumbling, she did help gather moss for the nests, and helped Nightfern settle into her nest for the night. Silentstorm rested at Lightfoot's insistence, getting her breath back as the other two gathered moss.

Once all of the nests were ready, Silentstorm heard Finstrike talking quietly to Lightfoot outside of the den, "I'll take the first watch. You three get some sleep. I'll wake you for the next watch in a little while."

"Thank you, Finstrike," Lightfoot murmured, clearly fighting back a yawn. The RiverClan warrior just grunted in reply. Lightfoot retreated back into the fox den, curling up in his nest beside Silentstorm. She shifted so that she was curled around the smaller tom, lying her chin on top of his head. Nightfern was silent in her nest, apparently still stunned by the events of the day.

The den was silent for a few moments, before Lightfoot spoke. "Silentstorm, if Gray is happy where he is, and wasn't in any danger... why do you think Nightfern got that dream?" he asked in a low murmur, too quiet for Nightfern to overhear.

Silentstorm blinked, surprised by the question. "I don't know," she mewed slowly. "Maybe it was just a regular dream after all."

"It couldn't be," Lightfoot argued. "The crow feather lead her to the exact location of Breeze's camp. She couldn't have known where it was unless that dream was more than just a dream. But why would StarClan send her a dream telling her to save Gray when he was just going to betray and attack us?"

Silentstorm was lost for words. While Lightfoot had been speaking, a horrible new idea had crept into her mind, making her pelt bristle in horror. What if it hadn't been StarClan who had sent the dream at all? What if it had just been a trap, meant to lure Nightfern and the others to Breeze's camp so they would be slaughtered. Silentstorm's breath caught. Had _Shade_ been the one to send the dream to Nightfern?

"Silentstorm?" Lightfoot sounded confused as Silentstorm's pelt bristle, his tone tinged with concern.

"Hmm?" She gave a quick shake of her head. "Oh, nothing. Just thinking." He was silent for a few moments, clearly not convinced. But she wasn't in the mood to explain about Shade just then. "Come on, let's get some sleep. We have a long journey ahead of us tomorrow."

Lightfoot still seemed unconvinced, but didn't argue further. The two cats settled against the floor of the fox den, letting themselves drift off to sleep.

* * *

Look who posted two chapters in one night again. ^^ And my original goal was just to finish TOA before I got back to college... more like get over a quarter of COTF done as well as finishing TOA before going back. :P It's nice getting through these chapters so quickly. I can't say I'll do the same when I get back, but it's nice to be able to do it now.

Anywhoo, we get to see why Graykit, now calling himself Gray, decided to betray Nightfern. Poor Nightfern. Poor, poor Nightfern. We also see them escape from Breeze's rogues, and where they're hiding for the night. Is it weird to say that I'm going to miss writing this group of cats together whenver they get back to the city? It's neat writing Finstrike in a setting with only cats from other Clans, and how it forces her to adapt, and it's nice letting Silentstorm get to know Nightfern better, since she knows her sister so well.

Next chapter will be in Silentstorm's POV again.


	10. Chapter Eight

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 5: Code of the Forest  
Chapter Eight

When dawn came, Lightfoot woke the other warriors. "We need to get going," he mewed in a low voice. "A rogue patrol passed by not long ago. It sounded like they were looking for us, and more will probably be coming. We need to get back to the city before the rogues find us."

Silentstorm still felt groggy with sleep, but she did her best to help clean up the den, discarding the moss from their nests and using strong-smelling herbs to cover their scent in the den. Lightfoot slipped off to find them all something to eat while Finstrike, Nightfern, and Silentstorm worked together to clean up the den. Nightfern still seemed quiet, but her stunned sense of grief seemed to have given way to bitter determination.

"He'll pay for this," Silentstorm heard her murmur as she swept moss out of the den. "I'll make sure of it."

Lightfoot didn't take long to return, a squirrel in his jaws. They ate quickly, scarfing down quick bites of squirrel, before quickly disposing of the bones. With every cat fed, and no traces left of their having stayed in the fox den, they were ready to head back to the city.

Nightfern took up the lead again, Finstrike watching the rear as Lightfoot and Silentstorm walked side by side. The she-cat's wounds from the previous day were aching, and she still felt slower and more tired than usual. But she was able to keep up better than the previous night, whether because she'd rested or because the pace was slower, she wasn't sure. But Lightfoot kept a careful watch on her even as she walked along.

They traveled through ThunderClan's forest. Even a moon later, Silentstorm could smell ashes everywhere, and a lot of the undergrowth was gone, many trees reduced to char or fallen branches. She shuddered. "I almost forgot that the forest was burned this badly," she murmured to Lightfoot. "Do you think it will ever grow back the same?"

Lightfoot seemed equally disturbed, stepping gingerly over a charred branch. "I don't know," he whispered back. "Maybe not. But I remember Cloudtail telling us about the fire in ThunderClan's old territory. The forest regrew then, and they were able to hunt and survive in their territory even after it burned. We can do it again."

Luckily, as they moved along, it seemed the entire forest had not been burned. The undergrowth under Silentstorm's paws became thicker as they moved closer to the ShadowClan border, and the smell of ash wasn't so strong. It was gone completely by the time they reached ShadowClan territory.

It took the better part of the day for them to travel out of Clan territory entirely, the sun beginning to set as they neared the borders of the city. Even as they passed out of ShadowClan territory, Silentstorm began to feel uneasy. She had been hearing small things, the brushing of a branch, the soft rustle of a leaf, behind them for quite some time. They hadn't run into any rogue patrols yet, which was suspicious enough, but now she was getting the increasing feeling that they were being followed.

"Do you all think...?"

Finstrike gave a short nod. "Yes. At least two of them, not far behind us," she said in a low, clipped tone. The group continued walking on, giving no outward indication that they suspected anything was amiss.

"Why are they following us?" Lightfoot asked quietly. "You heard Breeze, he wanted us dead. Why not just kill us?"

"Maybe we outnumber them," Silentstorm suggested.

Nightfern spoke from the front of the group, her tone grim. "Or maybe they want us to lead them to where the rest of the Clans are hiding, so they can kill us all together."

Every other cat was stunned into silence as they realized she was right. The one thing Breeze wanted more than anything was to destroy the Clans entirely. They had managed to evade him by hiding in the city, but if Breeze's rogues followed their little patrol back to the city, he might be able to find them at last. And it would be all their fault for leading them there.

"Then we can't let them follow us," Finstrike mewed firmly. "We'll have to throw them off our tail."

Nightfern's jaw clenched. "Follow me," she growled.

The WindClan she-cat picked up the pace, pushing the group to a brisk trot. They veered off course for a while as they traveled away from the breeze, letting the wind blow their scent away from their stalkers. Silentstorm wasn't sure whether the rogues were close enough to follow by sight, or whether they were following by sound, but they did their best to thwart on both fronts. Nightfern would lead them through thick patches of undergrowth, then quickly change their direction so it wasn't obvious by sight where they had gone. They followed a stream for a while and rolled briefly in strong-smelling leaves to try and mask their scent.

The detours made their trip take longer, but Silentstorm hoped it had been enough to throw off the rogues following them. They reached the edges of the city as the sun set, slipping back into the stone paths, foul stenches, and loud noises of the city. Silentstorm felt a pang of sadness as they left the forest behind again. _Who knows when we'll see our home again?_ she wondered morosely.

Even when they reached the city, Nightfern kept their path hard to follow, weaving through the twisting back alleys of the city instead of taking the straight-forward route back. The sun had finished setting when they finally reached the stone barn.

"They're back!" The patrol was swarmed by cats as they leaped onto the floor of the stone barn from the window. Silentstorm was instantly surrounded on all sides by cats sniffing her pelt and nuzzling her. Cinderheart and Lionblaze were beside her right away, Blazeheart pressing his muzzle against her cheek and giving a worried purr.

"We were looking for you all day!" her brother mewed, shaky relief in his tone. "No cat could find you, and your scent was impossible to follow over the stench of the city."

Silentstorm leaned into the embrace of her family, suddenly hit with how exhausted she felt. "I'm sorry," she murmured. "I would have told you where I was going, but there wasn't time, and we couldn't let Nightfern go alone."

"Nightfern?" Cats began to turn to the WindClan she-cat, nosing her and asking her questions. Nightfern shied away, tail twitching uncertainly. Wetwhisker and Darkbreeze were by her side, as well as her other kits. Wetwhisker was pressing his pelt against hers, his chin laid over her head as he murmured to her.

The crowd grew more quiet, and Silentstorm scented the leaders approaching them, coming to stand before the patrol. "I'm glad you're all back safely," came Bramblestar's deep rumble. "Now, I would like to know why you were missing for two days."

Nightfern sighed, before taking a step towards the leaders. "It was my fault," she said in a low voice. "I had a dream... I thought it was from StarClan. I dreamed that Graykit was in danger." Silentstorm heard a surprised mew from Wetwhisker. "I saw a crow's feather leading me to the rogues' new camp. I was determined to go and save him, and I asked if the others would help me."

"What happened?" Wetwhisker asked, voice shaking. "Why isn't he with you?"

Nigthfern lowered her head, grief heavy in her tone. "We managed to find the rogue's camp, right where my dream showed me it would be. Silentstorm and I snuck down to lead Graykit out of there, and he started to come with us, but then he... he sounded the alarm. The rogues surrounded us, and he bounded to Breeze like they were best friends. He said he _liked_ being with Breeze. He's calling himself Gray now. When Breeze ordered his cats to attack us, he just... _watched._ "

Thicketpaw gasped, pulling away from his mother in shock. "Graykit did that?" he gasped. "He betrayed you?" Shadepaw and Gorsepaw pressed against Thicketpaw, the littermates huddling together as they heard about their brother's betrayal. Nightfern reached out her muzzle, giving soothing licks to her three loyal kits.

"We managed to escape with Lightfoot and Finstrike's help," Silentstorm picked up the story. "We hid in an old fox den for the night, and then we made our way back here in the morning."

Sedgewhisker's tail bristled in surprise. "You had a dream from StarClan, and you didn't talk to me or Heathertail first? You could have been killed!"

Wetwhisker was looking at his mate, his pelt bristling in shock. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked in a low mew. "I would have gone with you."

Nightfern sighed. "I would have, but I couldn't find you. You were on patrol, and I didn't want to wait. I thought Gray needed help right away." Wetwhisker didn't respond, simply laying his muzzle back over her head, giving a low, comforting purr.

"We will discuss punishment for leaving the city against orders later," Mistystar mewed, though there was definite sympathy in her voice. "For now, eat up, get some rest, and check in with the medicine cats if you've been hurt."

Silentstorm dipped her head, then padded away as the crowd began to break up. True to her promise, she headed straight for the medicine den, pushing past the bracken entrance. Kestrelflight was out of the den, as was Willowshine, but the rest were in the den, sorting herbs or resting. They all looked up as Silentstorm entered the den. "Silentstorm!" Finchwing had crossed the den in a few moments, touching his nose to Silentstorm's. "Thank StarClan, I wasn't sure whether the patrols would be able to find you."

Leafpool stood more slowly from her nest, approaching Silentstorm with a purr. "It's good to see you again, Silentstorm," she mewed quietly. "Your parents were getting worried about you."

Silentstorm ducked her head, embarrassed. "I know. I'm sorry."

Leafpool just gave a dismissive wave of her tail. "You're hardly the only cat of your line to cause trouble by sneaking out of camp," she said, whiskers twitching.

Finchwing glanced curiously at the she-cat. "You're wounded," he said, a note of concern in his mew.

"There was a fight," Silentstorm explained. "Nothing serious. But I've been feeling kind of sick the last few days. I was wondering if you could tell me what was wrong."

Leafpool's ears perked in interest. "Finchwing, start mixing a poultice for her wounds," the she-cat ordered in her soft mew. "I'll check her over."

Finchwing nodded, padding to the far end of the den to sort through the herb stores. The tom seemed far happier as a medicine cat apprentice than he had ever been as a warrior apprentice. He was always seen hurrying back and forth from the medicine den, making expeditions into the edges of the city to gather herbs, treating aching joints and minor illnesses, and checking on the elders and queens. There was a lightness in his step that Silentstorm hadn't seen since he was a kit. His announcement that he was going to be a medicine cat apprentice had surprised Silentstorm at first, but it was clear now that this was what he was meant to be.

As he began making the poultice, Leafpool approached Silentstorm, sniffing her all over. "Well, no fever," she mewed thoughtfully. "That's a good sign. How have you been feeling, exactly?"

Silentstorm began to tell Leafpool the symptoms she'd noticed, how she'd felt slower and less hungry. Leafpool listened as she sniffed curiously at Silentstorm's pelt, running a paw over her back and sides. Suddenly the she-cat paused, an amused purr escaping her.

"What?" Silentstorm asked, puzzled. She couldn't imagine what had made the medicine cat amused.

Leafpool pulled back, whiskers twitching. "Well, I can tell you why you've been feeling sick," she mewed. "You're expecting kits, Silentstorm."

" _What?_ " Silentstorm stumbled back, back arching in shock. She couldn't comprehend it. "But... are you sure?"

"Positive," Leafpool mewed warmly. "I'd say they'll probably be due in two moons. You should move into the nursery soon."

Finchwing looked up from across the den. "You're expecting kits?" he repeated, sounding surprised. "Congratulations! Who's the father?"

 _Lightfoot..._ Her heart began to race, confusion and fear tangling up her thoughts. She had only started seeing Lightfoot in any sort of romantic light a little over a moon ago. They weren't even mates yet, if it was going to come to that. They certainly weren't anywhere near any conversation about having kits. They'd gotten pretty close, but she didn't know if she was ready to raise kits with him.

"I... I have to go," she muttered, hardly hearing her own words. She stumbled away, tripping over her own paws as she exited the den.

She didn't realize she was trembling until she was out in the open space of the stone barn. Her paws were shaking, her pelt fluffing out as she tried to rationalize what she had just learned. Kits. She was expecting kits. In only two moons, she would be a mother, with young lives depending on her to love and protect them, and to raise them. And they were Lightfoot's...

After a few moments, she managed to collect her thoughts enough to determine one thing – she had to tell him. She took off for the warrior's den, trying to sort out her tangled thoughts.

Nightfern had gone to find Kestrelflight, but Finstrike and Lightfoot had retreated to the warrior's den, settling into their nests for the night. No cat was asleep yet, however, and a few cats mewed greetings to Silentstorm as she entered the den. She ignored them all, making her way to Lightfoot's nest. "Hey," she mewed quietly to him. "Can I talk to you alone for a moment?"

The tom rose from his nest, fighting back a yawn. "Of course," he mewed groggily. He allowed Silentstorm to lead him out of the den, the two cats retreating to a far corner of the den. Lightfoot seemed to grow more awake as they did, his ears perking and his tone concern as he asked, "What's going on?"

Silentstorm flicked her ears around, making sure they were alone. For a few moments, she was at a loss for words. Lightfoot's worry only seemed to grow. "Silentstorm?" he mewed softly, reaching out his muzzle to brush against hers. "Are you okay? You're trembling."

She pulled away, ducking her head. "I just spoke with Leafpool," she mewed quietly.

"And?"

The she-cat sighed, trying to fight back her fear. "I'm expecting kits," she admitted quietly.

Lightfoot froze, tail fluffing out in shock. It was several moments before he could speak. "You're... really? You're expecting kits?"

"Yes." She hesitated, before adding, "Your kits."

A huff of laughter escaped Lightfoot, a sound of shock rather than amusement. He took a small step towards her, as though to approach her, then held back, hesitating. "Wow," he breathed. "My kits... Great StarClan, I wasn't... wow." He sounded stunned, a slight note of awe in his tone, but also fear.

Silentstorm gave a shaky breath. "What are we going to do?"

"I don't know," Lightfoot mewed quietly. "I mean... I know neither of us were preparing for anything like this anytime soon." He gave a slow shake of his head, still sounding stunned. Silentstorm couldn't blame him. They were both hardly half a year out of the apprentice's den, they had barely been close for more than a moon. Beyond all of that, Silentstorm had her own reasons to be apprehensive. She enjoyed being a warrior, with the freedom to hunt and patrol for her Clan. She hadn't been planning to give that up for eight moons in the nursery any time soon.

 _And what about the prophecy?_ She was the one destined to save the Clans from Shade, and the darkness she would bring to every living creature. How was she supposed to do that if she was stuck in the nursery, slower and clumsier, with helpless kits to protect? Horrible fear came over her at the thought of Shade with a body at last, coming after the helpless kits of the Silent One in order to punish her for trying to stop her. For the first time, she felt a fierce rush of protectiveness for her kits. _I'll never let that happen._

After several moments of silence, Lightfoot finally spoke. "I'm scared," he admitted. "I never really thought about being a father. I was never great with kits. But... if these kits are ours, I want to be a father to them." The tom pulled back for a moment, ears pinned back in embarrassment. "I know we're not mates," he muttered. "I understand if you don't want to work together to raise these kits. But I want to be there for them."

Silentstorm listened to Lightfoot, something warm growing in her chest. She was still scared, more scared than she had ever been in her life. But she starting to become sure of something that she thought she'd been feeling for a while. It was something calming for her mind to grasp onto, in the midst of all of the panic she was feeling.

Slowly, she approached Lightfoot. He gave a surprised purr as she pressed her muzzle against his cheek, then lifting it to lay on top of his head. "I love you, Lightfoot," she murmured, resting her cheek against the top of his head. "And I'm scared too. I don't know if I'm ready for this. But with these kits coming, I want to raise them with you, together. If that's alright."

He let out a shaky breath, shifting so that he was leaning against Silentstorm's pelt, leaning into her embrace. "I love you too," he mewed softly back. "And if you mean it, we'll raise these kits together."

For several moments, the two cats sat together, leaning into the embrace of the other, and trying to come to terms with the enormous change that had come to their lives. Silentstorm knew this was going to change everything, that soon she and Lightfoot would have to be parents, that they would have helpless young lives depending on them. She had no idea what kind of mother she would make. But at the very least, she knew she had the love and support of the tom beside her. And maybe, just maybe, that would be enough.

* * *

Well, most of you guessed. :P Not that I figured I was going to fool anybody anyway.

So, yep, Silentstorm is expecting kits. ^^ I know that the hints were pretty obvious to a lot of you, but I knew I had to hint at it beforehand and build it up a bit. It wouldn't exactly be realistic if Silentstorm hadn't noticed anything wrong with her and just found out out of nowhere that she was pregnant. At least there were only a few chapters of build-up before the truth was revealed.

It's definitely interesting to write Silentstorm's reaction to finding out she's pregnant not long after Blazeheart finding out that Ambertalon is pregnant, and to see how different their reactions are. Ambertalon and Blazeheart weren't exactly planning on having kits soon either, but they had been mates already for a while, and they already knew they had each other's support and they were already sort of building a future together. So for them, having kits was a surprise, but not one that greatly upsets any of their plans or deviates greatly from what they were expecting for their future. But for Silentstorm and Lightfoot, they had only been seeing each other very briefly and they weren't even official mates yet, so it was something much more worrying. But they know now that they'll support each other through it.

As of this conversation and the end of this chapter, Silentstorm and Lightfoot are officially mates. :D And hey, I managed to sneak another Hamilton reference in there. ^^ In a rather fitting scene too, I think.

Next chapter will be in Blazeheart's POV. I will try to post it again soon, but I am moving back into college tomorrow, so we'll see.


	11. Chapter Nine

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 5: Code of the Forest  
Chapter Nine

Even though they were still stuck hiding in the city, Blazeheart couldn't remember ever feeling so happy in his life. Ambertalon was expecting his kits, and his sister had moved into the nursery two days ago, expecting her own kits. In two moons, he would be a father to the kits of the she-cat he loved, and he would be able to help look after his sister's kits.

Silentstorm had seemed very nervous when she'd moved into the nursery, but Ambertalon and Leafdrift had helped her feel welcome, and she'd had Cinderheart and Lionblaze's support. Lionblaze had seemed overjoyed that both of his kits would be having kits of their own, and Cinderheart had promised to be present for the kitting, giving her daughter plenty of advice. They had both helped Silentstorm settle into a nest in the nursery.

It seemed that Silentstorm's family weren't the only ones happy about the news. "Silentstorm is a fine warrior," Molefoot was saying to Sunstrike. Blazeheart was out on a border patrol, and the cats of the patrol were chatting lightly as they padded along a stone path. "I'm glad my son has found a cat who makes him happy. Lightfoot will make a good father."

Sunstrike was nodding slowly. "New kits are always good news, especially in times like these," she mewed.

Even Sparktail, who rarely had a good word to say about Silentstorm, seemed happy about the new kits. "It'd be better if they weren't born in the city," he mewed. "ThunderClan kits deserve the sandy floor of the nursery, and the safety of the stone walls at camp."

"Maybe we'll have won our home back by then," Blazeheart suggested. "I know I want my kits to grow up in the stone hollow." It still gave him a thrill every time he said the words _"my kits."_ He still couldn't believe he was going to be a father in just a few moons.

The other cat on the patrol, Crouchfoot, pointed out, "I think it's going to take a bit longer to train the new recruits than that. Honeyheart says that Winnie hasn't learned much more than basic swipes and dodges, and Robinwing was saying earlier that Hoover acts like TigerClan themselves are coming to kill him whenever someone so much as sneezes at him, let alone tries to teach him a battle move."

Blazeheart felt a flicker of unease. It had been nine days since the kittypets had begun their training. He knew that it was going to take more than a few days to turn completely inexperienced kittypets and loners into competent fighters. But the behavior of the kittypets made him worried. A lot of them seemed too gentle to fight hard like warriors had to, and they didn't have the same sense of hard work and working together that warriors did. Cosima and Velma actually made a decent team as they lived in the same twoleg nest, and Maisie and Winnie were apparently long-time friends. But the rest were used to living on their own, especially the loners. They weren't used to taking orders or fighting to defend others. Blazeheart wondered whether their way of life was just too different to allow them to learn to fight like Clan cats.

The patrol continued on. When the Clans had first arrived in the city, they had hunted without clear borders, just trying to find ways to survive. However, they had quickly run into conflict with rogues, who did have established territories. After Rizzo had stepped in, she had taught the Clans where the rogue territories were, and where they themselves could hunt. Since then, the Clans had set down borders, which were patrolled as regularly as regular Clan borders in the forest. They followed a winding thunderpath that sloped down a hill, which served as one of the outer borders of their territory.

Suddenly, Molefoot paused, sniffing the air. "Get down!" he hissed to the other cats. The other cats crouched obediently, all of them shuffling back so they were hiding behind the red stone walls of a twoleg nest. Carefully, Blazeheart glanced around the corner.

His heart froze when he saw what had alerted Molefoot. Five rogues were standing on the other side of the thunderpath beyond the twoleg nest, their pelts fluffed out aggressively and their muzzles lifted as they tasted the air. Blazeheart didn't know their names, but he recognized a few of them from battles – they were followers of Breeze. He saw a very large pale gray she-cat standing at the head of the group, her golden eyes narrowed as she gazed around the alley. Blazeheart pulled back, praying she hadn't seen him.

Crouchfoot was crouched beside Blazeheart, glancing out at the street. He froze as he noticed the gray she-cat, a low growl rumbling in his throat. "That's Scorch," he hissed, hatred in his tone. "She's the one who killed Ashstar."

Blazeheart risked another peak, looking at the gray she-cat with new interest. As he watched, he could see that Scorch's fellow rogues seemed uncomfortable. They all flinched away as a monster passed by them, and their gazes kept darting around the alley. Blazeheart guessed they hadn't been in a twolegplace this big before.

But Scorch seemed perfectly at ease. She held her head and tail high, seeming unfazed as the monster passed her and the other rogues. Once it had passed, she approached the edge of the stone path beside the thunderpath, setting one paw on the thunderpath. _She's feeling for vibrations of more approaching monsters,_ Blazeheart realized with a twinge of surprise. It was a trick that Rizzo had taught some of the warriors when they had first come to the city. He guessed many forest rogues wouldn't know that trick without spending some time in a twolegplace first.

After a few moments, Scorch meowed something to her patrol. At her command, they began crossing the thunderpath together, Scorch with slow confidence, the rogues with anxious speed. Blazeheart pulled back from the edge of the twoleg nest as the rogues crossed to the Clan's side of the thunderpath, until they were just on the other side of the twoleg nest. All they had to do was round the corner, and the Clan cats would be discovered.

Blazeheart held his breath, fear making his pelt prickle. If the rogues discovered them, they would be evenly matched in numbers. There was a chance they could beat them in a fight if it came to that. But even if they did, then what? They couldn't let Breeze discover where they were hiding. They would either have to kill all of the rogues, or keep them prisoner to keep them from telling Breeze where the Clans were staying. The latter option would be complicated and dangerous, and the former would be rather gruesome. Blazeheart had never killed before, and even though he knew the rogues couldn't be allowed to tell Breeze where they were hiding, he didn't think he could bring himself to kill except in self-defense. Besides that, even if they did kill the rogues, Breeze would likely get suspicious about where his cats were and send more anyway.

After a few moments, Sunstrike flicked her tail silent, gesturing to the other warriors to follow. They crept after the tortoiseshell, every cat slinking as low and as silently as possible. She led them around to the other end of the twoleg nest, all of the Clan cats coming to crouch in the gap between two twoleg nests, hiding in the shadows of the nests, behind what the kittypets called a garbage can. The last cat had barely slipped into the shadows when the rogues rounded the corner, padding along the side of the winding thunderpath. Scorch and the others didn't look at the gap between nests, but one cat turned and glanced their way, just for a moment. Blazeheart was the only cat looking from around the garbage can, and he froze as the cat's gaze seemed to lock with his. He almost expected the cat to yowl to the other rogues that the Clan cats were hiding there. After a moment, though, the cat looked away, and the rogues padded onward, disappearing around another corner.

It was several moments before any cat dared to venture from behind the garbage can. Sparktail crept out from behind the garbage can, his spiky-furred tail waving anxiously behind him as he checked the winding thunderpath. After a few moments, he called back to the others, "The rogues are gone."

Slowly, the patrol emerged from behind the garbage can, sniffing anxiously. After a few moments of inspection, it became clear that Sparktail was right. The rogues were gone. Blazeheart breathed a sigh of relief, letting his fur lie flat.

After a moment, though, he recalled the cat who had looked his way. "Do you think that rogue saw us?" he asked Crouchfoot in a low voice.

Crouchfoot glanced curiously at him. "What rogue?"

"The one that looked at me."

He shrugged. "I didn't get a good look at the rogues. I was just trying to keep out of sight."

Blazeheart turned to Molefoot and Sunstrike, starting to ask them, only for Sunstrike to speak first. "We need to get back to the Clan," she said in a low, urgent tone. "If the rogues show up in the city again, we need border patrols to be prepared."

Molefoot nodded slowly in agreement. "The leaders can decided what to do about the rogues," he rumbled. "And we shouldn't stay out too much longer, with them out here."

The other cats murmured and nodded in agreement. As the patrol began to leave the area, Blazeheart's thoughts drifted away from the rogue who'd seemed to look at him. If that rogue really had seen him, he reasoned, they would have called out to the other rogues. He must have been mistaken, that was all.

 **SCENEBREAK**

"Let all cats of all four Clans join here for a meeting of our Clans!"

Cats began to gather around the overturned block, where Mistystar stood. The elderly blue-gray she-cat gazed down at the cats below with a grim light to her ice-blue eyes. Bramblestar, Sedgewhisker, and Tigerstar stood around the block, sitting beside their fellow leader.

When every cat was gathered, Mistystar began. "Today, our dawn border patrol saw some of Breeze's rogues in the city."

Her announcement set off a series of worried cries from the crowd. Blazeheart saw Heronstrike and Pondbreeze swap an alarmed glance, and Nightmoss's hackles had flown up, a growl rumbling in her throat. Mistystar continued, "It appears that these rogues were searching for us. Luckily, our patrol was able to keep out of their sight. But we must be alert. All future patrols must keep a wary eye out for rogues."

Among the worried cries, Blazeheart heard one cat cry, "This is our fault!" He and several other cats turned to look at the cat who had spoken. Nightfern was staring up at the leaders with eyes wide with horror, her hackles raised. "When we were returning from trying to save Gray, we thought there were rogues following us. We did everything we could think of to throw them off our tail, but they must have followed us to the city anyway."

Wetwhisker was at Nightfern's side in an instant, pressing his muzzle against her cheek. "You were trying to save our son," he murmured. "No cat could blame you for that."

"Wetwhisker is right," Sedgewhisker called. The youngest leader always seemed like the least confident of them, but now, there was only calm sympathy in her gaze, none of the uncertainty Blazeheart had seen before. "While you should have come to me before going off on your own, no cat could blame you for trying to save your kit." She lifted her chin, addressing all of the gathered cats as she continued, "It doesn't matter how these rogues found us. By what Sunstrike's patrol told us, they seem to be searching the city for us, but they haven't found the stone barn yet. Which means they aren't certain where we are, and we are still safe here."

"If any patrols do come across rogues, and are spotted by them, we need to figure out a way to keep them from telling Breeze where we are," Bramblestar rumbled. "While these cats live outside of the warrior code, the code calls for us to refrain from killing unless in defense of a cat's life. But we can't let them talk to Breeze either."

Tigerstar looked thoughtful for a few moments. "We could find a place to keep any rogues who see us prisoner," he suggested. "Not here, because we wouldn't want them to know where our camp is if they ever escape. But maybe there's another nest or something where we can keep them."

"That's not a bad idea," Mistystar praised. "We can ask Rizzo if she knows of anywhere like that. Until then, all patrols must be careful, and report any sightings of rogues."

With the leaders' announcements done, the meeting began to break up. Blazeheart had been sitting near the other cats of the patrol, Sparktail sitting beside him. The scruffy tom stood as Daffodil approached him from the crowd. "Are we still going training later?" the fluffy she-cat asked. The young horseplace cat had grown quite a bit since Floss had brought her and her brother to the Clan. She still seemed very reserved in many ways, often looking at the cats around her with suspicion and defiance. But she seemed more comfortable with the Clan cats than she had when she had first come to ThunderClan.

"Yes, but let me rest my paws first," Sparktail grumbled. "And make sure you get something to eat first. The last thing I need is you whining about being hungry and tired when we're in the middle of battle training."

To Blazeheart's surprise, Daffodil's green gaze sparked with glee at her mentor's gruff words. "I'd be more likely to hear you whining than me," she retorted, matching her mentor's dry tone. Sparktail just snorted in reply, but Blazeheart thought he saw amusement in his amber eyes. Daffodil padded away, grabbing a hunk of twoleg food as she passed the fresh-kill pile, and joined Beechpaw and Sparrowpaw near the apprentice's den. _Maybe she's happier here than I thought,_ he mused as he watched her chatting brightly with her WindClan denmates.

"Blazeheart." The tom turned to see Ambertalon padding towards him. The she-cat's belly was starting to look more rounded after almost a moon in the nursery, but it still wasn't huge yet. She bumped her muzzle against Blazeheart's in greeting, purring briefly before pulling back. "So you ran into rogues, huh?" she mewed, mischief sparking in her eyes. "If I was there I would have torn their fur out."

Blazeheart purr, rasping his tongue over her ear. "No you wouldn't have," he mewed. "We can't let them know where we are, and if we started a fight, they would have told Breeze where we're hiding."

Ambertalon gave an over-dramatic sigh, slumping against the ground. "Fine, I guess you're right," she said in a put-upon groan. She grew a bit more serious as she added, "I could have used it, though. I feel so useless, sitting around in the nursery, when the other warriors are hunting for the Clan. I want to be out there doing _something._ "

The tom grew more serious too, pressing his muzzle against her cheek. "I know," he said softly. "Once these kits are born, we can take turns looking after them. I know you don't want to spend all of your time in the nursery. We'll work it out together."

"I know we will," Ambertalon murmured, shifting so that she was leaning against his side. "It's just hard to watch my Clanmates serving my Clan while I'm not doing anything. But it'll be worth it, once these kits are born."

Blazeheart purred deeply, pressing against Ambertalon's side. But inside, he felt doubt and fear creeping through his mind. If the rogues came to the city again, it was going to make living there even harder. Would they be able to provide for their kits, with rogues hunting them down on the streets all the time?

* * *

Sorry this one took a bit longer (though not that long - I'm really on a roll). I moved back into college on Saturday, and I spent yesterday unpacking and putting up my posters. My roommate had enough credits to graduate a year early, and I didn't feel like dealing with a new roommate for only one year (I'm a senior), so this year I have my own room with a single dorm room. ^^

Anyway, so the rogues have come to check whether the Clans are in the forest, having presumably tracked Nightfern and her patrol there. But who is the cat who may or may not have seen Blazeheart? ^^ And we also get a little shout-out to Scorch's origins.

We also get to see how Daffodil is getting on as an apprentice, and how Ambertalon is coping with being in the nursery. ^^ And also with how Silentstorm and Lightfoot's families are taking the news about their kits.

Next chapter will be in Silentstorm's POV. There will be a little bit of a time skip.


	12. Chapter Ten

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 5: Code of the Forest  
Chapter Ten

Silentstorm gave a small sigh, letting her tail-tip brush mindlessly against the dusty floor of the nursery. Almost a moon had passed since the kittypets had begun their training, and over half a moon had passed since she'd moved into the nursery. Half a moon ago, she had spent her days training Shadowpaw, hunting and patrolling in the city, and helping Specklefoot and Eeltooth train their new apprentices. Now, she spent her days lounging around in the nursery.

And it was so _boring._

She couldn't remember ever feeling so bored in her life. Even with the kits in her belly making her more tired and lazy, she found no satisfaction in lazing around the nursery all day. Ambertalon and Leafdrift were good company, and she helped look after the other queens' kits whenever she got a chance. But she still missed running through the city with Lightfoot, hunting down prey for the Clans and protecting their borders.

"Silentstorm?" The blind she-cat turned when she heard Yewkit's mew. Ivypool's daughter was standing in front of her, her head tipped curiously. "Will you play Badger Attack with us?"

The blind queen purred. As the largest queen in the nursery, she was often called upon by the younger kits to give badger rides on her broad shoulders, or play a large, lumbering badger in their play fights. Yewkit seemed particularly fond of her – Silentstorm couldn't help but wonder if the kit remembered her carrying her in the fire.

"Sure thing, Yewkit." Silentstorm rose to her paws, stretching out her limbs briefly before padding after the kit. Beetlekit and Antkit were waiting near Ivypool's nest, bounding towards Silentstorm and Yewkit as they approached. "A badger is attacking the camp!" Beetlekit yowled, swiping at the air near Silentstorm with a small paw. "We have to defend it!"

Silentstorm gave a playful growl, drawing herself up to her full height. "Run, puny warriors," she growled. She began walking slowly towards the kits, thumping her paws loudly against the ground, pretending they were the club-like paws of a badger. "You are no match for a mighty badger like me!"

"We'll chase the stinky badger out of camp together!" Beetlekit cried gleefully. She and Antkit rushed around Silentstorm's other side, snapping at her paws, while Yewkit stayed to her front and batted at her muzzle with flailing paws. Silentstorm brought a paw thumping down near Beetlekit and Antkit, careful to avoid hitting them.

Antkit grabbed onto her paw, hooking his small claws into her pelt and slithering up her leg, clambering up onto her back. The smallest of Ivypool's litter was able to hang onto her shoulders, even as she pretended to try and shake him off. Beetlekit leaped onto Silentstorm's shoulder, clinging to her with sharp claws, while Yewkit stayed on the ground and tried to trip up her paws. With a final roar of mock rage, Silentstorm let herself fall against the dusty stone floor, careful not to hurt herself or the kits. "Curses, I have been defeated by the mighty ThunderClan warriors!" she declared, letting her head fall back against the ground.

"We beat her! We beat her!" The kits climbed atop of Silentstorm, crowing their victory. Silentstorm hid a purr of amusement; she was still playing the dead badger. Dead badgers didn't purr.

From her nest a few tail-lengths away, Ivypool called out, "Get off of Silentstorm. You're going to hurt her kits." Reluctantly, the kits slid off of Silentstorm, trotting back to Ivypool.

"Thanks for the game, Silentstorm!" Yewkit mewed as she followed her littermates back to her mother.

Silentstorm purred. "My pleasure."

As the kits reached Ivypool, Beetlekit bounded right up to her mother, asking brightly, "Can we go play with Silvershine's kits? Graykit said she thought of a new way to play Mossball." Beetlekit was the most energetic of Ivypool's kits, with a bright, playful energy that often got her into mischief. She was also definitely the leader, her sister and brother following her into whatever trouble or games she led them into. Antkit was quiet, but tough and stubbornly loyal to his sister, following wherever she led. Yewkit was quiet too, but in a gentler way, with a soft voice and more patience than her littermates.

"As long as Blossomfall's kits are there to supervise," Ivypool mewed sternly. Silentstorm's whiskers twitched in amusement. The last time Silvershine's litter had been left alone with Ivypool's litter, Graykit and Beetlekit had tried to lead their littermates out of the stone barn. It had only been the sharp eyes of the warrior on guard duty that had stopped the kits from escaping into the city.

Beetlekit deflated a little, looking disappointed, before brightening and mewing, "Thanks!" She and her littermates bounded off, joining Silvershine's litter. Silentstorm heard Pikekit and Graykit mew friendly greetings as the ThunderClan kits approached, and she could scent Stormkit, Dewkit, Duskkit, and the other Graykit sitting nearby, watching over the younger kits. Blossomfall's kits had been looked after by Silvershine for the past two moons, and while they weren't far from being apprenticed and didn't often play with the younger kits, it was clear they adored Silvershine's kits and looked after them when they could.

As the kits began their game, Ivypool looked up at Silentstorm. "I'm sorry if they're bothering you," the she-cat mewed. "They've been getting more active since I weaned them off of milk. You can tell them no if they get to be too much."

"It's fine," Silentstorm assured Ivypool with a purr. She settled onto the dusty floor beside her old mentor, wrapping her tail around her side and stretching her front legs out in front of her. "Playing with the kits gives me something to do."

Ivypool's whiskers twitched in amusement. "Let me guess. Bored?" she mewed lightly.

Silentstorm sighed, letting her head fall onto her paws. "Completely bored," she agreed with a sigh. "How have you managed it here so many moons?"

Ivypool gave a merry _mrowrr_ of laughter. "Trust me, once the kits come, you'll _wish_ you were still bored," she teased. Silentstorm purred as well, but internally, she felt a brush of apprehension. She knew Ivypool was right, and that looking after her kits was going to be a lot of work and a lot of responsibility. Would she really be up to the task?

The older queen seemed to guess Silentstorm's thoughts. "You know, when I started training you, I never dreamed that we would both be in the nursery in such a short time," she commented. "But just because it's unexpected, and sooner than you thought, doesn't mean it's going to be bad." She reached out and touched her muzzle to Silentstorm's, purring, "I know the cat I trained, and I know that you're going to make just as fantastic a mother as you do a warrior."

Silentstorm gave a startled purr, surprised to hear such high praise from her old mentor. "Thank you, Ivypool," she finally managed. She wasn't sure if she entirely believed her, but Ivypool's praise did manage to make her pelt puff out in pride. At the very least, she knew she had the support of an experienced queen, and a warrior she respected, when her time of being a mother did come.

New pawsteps at the entrance of the nursery alerted her. She perked her ears, joy making her pelt fluff out as she recognized the scent of Lightfoot. "Hey," he mewed, crossing the den to reach her.

"Hey," she mewed softly, rising to her paws in order to brush muzzles with him. Since they had decided to raise their kits together, they had spent more time together than ever, and their bond had grown even deeper. Silentstorm had never been in love before, but she knew without being told that what she felt was Lightfoot was that kind of love. She purred deeply as they brushed muzzles, her tail curling in pleasure.

"I was about to take Shadowpaw for a battle training session," Lightfoot explained. "I was wondering if you wanted to come along?"

After Silentstorm had moved into the nursery, Bramblestar had assigned Lightfoot as Shadowpaw's new mentor. Lightfoot worked together on the tom's training with Silentstorm, however, going to plan training sessions with her in the mornings before starting his training for the day, and Silentstorm often sat and supervised on battle training sessions. Shadowpaw was her first apprentice, and his training was a source of pride for the blind she-cat, who had often wondered whether she would ever get to be a warrior, let alone a mentor. She was more grateful than she could say that moving into the nursery hadn't meant giving up Shadowpaw's training entirely.

"I'd love to," she purred.

After exchanging a final goodbye with Ivypool, Silentstorm followed Lightfoot out of the nursery. They met Shadowpaw by the fresh-kill pile, then left the stone barn behind, venturing out into the city. Lightfoot was careful to pick a spot close to the stone barn for training – Silentstorm's belly wasn't huge yet, but it was definitely bigger than it had been, and she got tired much more quickly. It was easier for her if they trained closer to the camp.

The training ground for the day was an alley near the stone barn. While it wasn't the best place to train, and the walls of the twoleg nests on either side of the path made it feel enclosed, it was a secluded spot where monsters never came. Silentstorm settled on the flat stone, calling out to Lightfoot and Shadowpaw, "Alright, let's try that badger defense we were talking about before."

Shadowpaw crouched before Lightfoot, giving a low growl as he contemplated the warrior. At over eleven moons old, the tom was as large as his mentor now, with the same broad shoulders and thick build of his adopted father. He had grown into a formidable fighter, and a skilled hunter. Silentstorm knew it wouldn't be long before Bramblestar made him a warrior.

As the two toms began their fight, Silentstorm was suddenly aware of a soft rustling of paws behind her. She turned her head, hackles raised. _Who was that?_

She was about to call out, when the soft call made her pause. "Silentstorm," the voice mewed.

Her ears perked in surprise. "Silentstorm," the call came again, too soft for the fighting toms to hear. "Over here."

Silentstorm hesitated. The wind was blowing away from her, so she couldn't catch the scent of who was speaking. It could be a rogue, or someone dangerous. But the cat's use of her name made her intrigued. She rose to her paws, following the voice around the corner, into another alley.

Almost immediately after she rounded the corner, a paw slapped over her mouth, and a cat was dragging her further down the alley, despite the queen's violet efforts to pull free. A voice hissed in her ear, "Not here. We need to go where they can't hear us. I'm only here to talk to you."

Silentstorm felt a rush of horror as the stench of rogue hit her nose. _One of Breeze's rogues!_ She cursed her foolishness at having followed the voice. Now, she was unable to throw off her attacker, or cry out for help.

The rogue managed to drag her into another alley, surprising strong even though the rogue's frame felt rather thin. Silentstorm wondered whether it was the rogue's strength, or her own lack of strength now that she was carrying kits, that had allowed the rogue to overpower her. Once they were in the new alley, the voice sounded in her ear again. "I'm going to let you go, if you promise not to call for help or run away. I'll just catch you again if you run, and if you call for help I'll be gone before your friends get here." At Silentstorm's muffled growl, the rogue sighed. "Listen. All I want is to talk to you. Please. It's for the benefit of every cat – except for Breeze."

That made Silentstorm pause. "That's better," the rogue grunted. "Now, if I let go of you, do you promise not to run?" Silentstorm was still wary, but something made her want to listen to the rogue. If the rogue had wanted her dead, then she would likely already be dead. And if the rogue really was offering something that would hurt Breeze, she had to try. Reluctantly, she nodded.

The rogue released Silentstorm, letting the warrior scramble back. She twisted around, beginning to groom her ruffled pelt as she growled, "You could have just opened with that, instead of dragging me away."

"I couldn't risk you calling to the others for help," the rogue explained, sounding unconcerned. "I only came to talk to the Silent One."

Silentstorm stiffened in shock. The only other one who called her that was Shade. "So... you know who I am?" she mewed, unable to keep the shock from her tone.

"I knows bits and pieces," the rogue said. "Breeze spoke of a prophecy, a Silent One meant to stop the darkness." The rogue moved closer, tone urgent. "That's why I came to speak to you. If you're really the one prophesied to stop the darkness, then I want to help you defeat Breeze."

Silentstorm bristled in shock. She had never imagined that some of Breeze's own followers were plotting against him. Slowly, she began to feel a stunned sense of joy, and relief. Breeze's forces weren't all loyal. That meant possible allies, and less enemies. And that meant that if the Clans worked together with the city cats, and with some of Breeze's own forces, that they would finally have enough cats to beat Breeze.

As those revelations hit Silentstorm, she began to hear distant cries. "Silentstorm!" Her ears perked as she recognized the meows of Shadowpaw and Lightfoot. "Silentstorm, where are you?"

"You need to go," the rogue said quickly. "Your Clanmates are looking for you. But we need to meet again. I can help the Clans defeat Breeze, I know more about him than any cat, and not all of his followers are loyal. I can convince some of them to your side." The rogue's voice dropped into a low growl. "But I don't want you running off and telling your leaders about this. I'm trusting you because I know you hate Breeze, and because StarClan chose your for their prophecy. But I don't trust the Clans yet."

"Then why fight for us at all?" Silentstorm asked.

The rogue turned away, almost seeming ashamed. "What I feel about the leaders and the warrior code isn't what's important here," the rogue mewed gruffly. "Innocent cats have been hurt over this. Enough is enough. I can't go on letting him hurt cats who had nothing to do with what happened." Silentstorm was surprised to hear sadness in the rogue's tone, and even regret. After a moment, the tone turned brisk again. "Go back to your Clanmates now, but meet me four days from now, near the winding thunderpath. You're a queen, so they'll be watching you more closely, but you can make some excuse to get away. Tell them that you're bored in the nursery and you want some fresh air, and that you don't need a warrior escort. Insist long enough and they'll believe you."

Silentstorm's hope was tempered with wariness as she regarded the rogue. Having some of Breeze's forces on their side was more than she could have ever hoped for, but she wasn't entirely convinced. There was something this rogue wasn't telling her. Something about the way the rogue talked was making her pelt prickle. "How do you know about warrior escorts and the warrior code?" she asked, her suspicion rising. "And why do you say you know Breeze better than any cat?"

For a moment, she thought the rogue wasn't going to answer. The rogue had turned away, hackles bristling. Then, after a few moments, the rogue sighed. "Because I'm his mother," she admitted in a low, dull tone. "My name is Night, but once, I was Nightcloud."

Silentstorm's pelt bristled in shock. "You're his _mother?_ " she gasped, completely stunned. She had heard about Nightcloud, the stubborn, jealous she-cat who Crowfeather had taken as a mate to prove his loyalty to WindClan. She had always been protective of Breeze, and had joined her son in exile after the Dark Battle. Silentstorm would never have dreamed that the she-cat would want to help defeat her own son.

As she gaped stupidly at the rogue she-cat, she heard another call. "Silentstorm!" Lightfoot sounded closer now, his voice rising in fear.

"Go back to your Clanmates now," Night hissed, ignoring the obvious shock of the blind queen. "Any longer and you'll make them suspicious. But meet me in four days, Silentstorm. Your Clans, and my campmates, depend on it." Without another word, Night bounded away, leaving Silentstorm alone.

The queen stood, blinking in shock for a few moments, before she managed to collect her thoughts enough to turn and start padding away. "I'm over here!" she called, turning the corner as she began walking back to where Lightfoot and Shadowpaw had been.

"Silentstorm!" Shadowpaw nearly knocked her over, purring as he bumped his muzzled against her cheek. "Thank StarClan, we didn't know where you'd gone." Lightfoot was there a moment later, rubbing his muzzle against Silentstorm's neck as Shadowpaw stepped back.

"Sorry about that," Silentstorm mewed quickly. "I thought I smelled a rabbit. I shouldn't have wandered off, but a rabbit would have been a big meal. I wasn't thinking."

Lightfoot purred as he pressed his cheek against the side of her neck. "It's alright," he murmured quietly. "Just let us know next time."

"I will," Silentstorm promised. As Lightfoot stepped back, she gave a quick shake of her pelt, trying to collect her thoughts. "Come on, let's get back to training."

Shadowpaw brightened at this. "I pinned Lightfoot really quickly last time," he told Silentstorm, tail puffing out with pride. "I want to show you how I got that move down."

They returned to the alley, Lightfoot and Shadowpaw resuming their battle training. Even as Silentstorm called out instructions and critiques, her mind still kept going over her conversation with Night, and the upcoming meeting by the winding thunderpath.

She didn't know whether she should trust Night, or whether she should tell the leaders and let them decide. After all, she was Breeze's mother. It could very easily just be a trap to try and kill the Silent One. The cat who had joined Breeze in exile, his own mother, was the least likely cat to turn on him. She shouldn't trust her.

And yet, somehow, she felt she should trust Night. Or at least give her a chance. If she was telling the truth, and she really could get some of Breeze's own to turn on him, it could be the deciding factor in the battle against his cats. She had to try, for every cat's sake.

But not alone. She had carried the burden of this prophecy alone for moons already, back when she had the guidance of Hollyleaf and Rock. But now, Hollyleaf and the other spirits were nowhere to be seen. She was without guidance. And now, she had new lives to think about, kits that needed protection. This wasn't just about her anymore.

 _Blind loyalty and silent sacrifice will save the Clans._ The prophecy called on her to sacrifice in silence, to walk a lonely path to protect the Clans from the darkness. But she wasn't going to listen anymore. There were cats she trusted with her life, and she was going to let them help her, if they would. She wanted to trust Night, but she wasn't foolish enough to meet her alone.

She only hoped that Night would be willing to listen to her if she brought more cats.

* * *

So we've finally reached the double digits for chapters, and along with that we get a revelation for who the mystery cat in the prologue was. :D It was Night all along! I didn't see anyone guess it, so I wonder if anyone suspected...

We get to see how Silentstorm is settling into the nursery, and see her interacting with Ivypool and her kits. I think these kits are going to be fun to write. ^^ And she's still helping train Shadowpaw, though Lightfoot is his temporary mentor at the moment.

I'm not going to say much about Night and her motivations right now. We'll learn more next chapter.


	13. Chapter Eleven

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 5: Code of the Forest  
Chapter Eleven

"Let me get this straight. You want us to sneak you out of camp, to meet with Breeze's mother of all cats, without telling the leaders, because she says she wants to help overthrow her own son? And you want us to believe her?"

Silentstorm sighed patiently. "Yes," she mewed simply.

Blazeheart gaped at his sister, unable to form a fitting response. Eeltooth and Specklefoot exchanged baffled glances, while Lightfoot blinked, looking stunned. Darkbreeze was sitting stiffly, some emotion Blazeheart couldn't read in her eyes.

It was four days after Silentstorm had apparently met with the mother of Breeze. Silentstorm had managed to pull her friends, her brother, and her mate aside to a remote part of the stone barn, and had told them about her meeting with Night. She had asked them all to come with her.

"Silentstorm, this is serious," Specklefoot mewed quietly. "For all we know, we could be walking into an ambush."

The blind she-cat sighed. "I know," she said quietly. "But something tells me that Night is telling the truth. And I think, if there's really a chance to earn more allies for the Clans, that I have to try."

Eeltooth's expression was puzzled. "But why you?" he asked, tipping his head. "I don't get it. Why did Night come to you about allying with the Clans? You were born long after she left WindClan, she never met you."

Silentstorm hesitated. "I don't know," she mewed carefully. "I did try to attack Breeze when we tried to save Gray. She might have seen how much I hated Breeze and decided she could trust me to take a chance on her to beat him."

Blazeheart's brow furrowed in confusion. Silentstorm was acting unusually shifty, as though she was hiding something. There was something strange about all of this. Why had Night chosen a warrior she had never met to confide in? Why now? Why did Silentstorm think she could trust Night.

Lightfoot hesitated, looking uneasily at the other cats, before mewing quietly, "I don't know whether we can trust Night. But I think Silentstorm's right. If there's really a chance she can win us more allies for the battle, we have to try." He glanced at Silentstorm, worry sparking in his gaze as he added, "And it's too dangerous to go alone. I'm in."

"I'm in," Eeltooth grunted. He glanced at Silentstorm, something almost like amusement in his amber gaze as he said, "It doesn't make a fish scale's worth of sense, but I know you well enough to know that you're going whether the rest of us agree or not. I'm not sitting this one out."

"I'm going too," Blazeheart mewed quickly. He didn't understand why Night wanted to meet his sister or any of the rest of it. But there was no way he was letting his expecting sister walk into that kind of danger without going with her.

Specklefoot glanced between the other cats, before sighing and shaking her head. "Why did I ever let myself get dragged into this group?" she mewed aloud, seemingly to no cat in particular. She glanced at Silentstorm. "I should have known you'd drag me into something like this sooner or later the moment you told me about RiverClan." She sighed. "But you trusted me when I asked you to, even though you had no reason to. Maybe you're right about Night too. I'm in."

That just left Darkbreeze. "Darkbreeze?" Silentstorm asked, ears flicking towards the she-cat. The dark gray tabby hadn't moved since Silentstorm had explained about meeting Night. Her hackles were raised ominously, some dark emotion in her blue gaze as she stared firmly at nothing.

"She left with my fa... with Breeze," Darkbreeze whispered. Blazeheart saw her tail pull tighter around her paws. "She's sat by and watched while he tried to destroy us all. She fought for him. They killed Yewkit, and Crowfeather, and Ashstar..."

Silentstorm rose to her paws, crossing over to Darkbreeze and touching her nose to her ear. "I know," she murmured, voice soft with sympathy. "I know you have every reason to hate them. But I honestly think Night might be able to help us. And if we can stop any more cats getting hurt because of Breeze, isn't it worth working with her?"

For a few moments, Blazeheart thought Darkbreeze wasn't going to answer. Then, a shudder ran through her, and she seemed to relax, just a little. "I hate her just as much as I hate him," she murmured. "But if it means stopping Breeze from hurting my Clanmates any more, then I can work with her. But that doesn't mean I forgive her." She gave her pelt a quick shake, her tone becoming brisk. "If she so much as hints that I should go easy on her because we're kin, I'll rip her pelt off," she mewed, seeming to force a joking tone. "But I'm not sitting back on my tail while my friends walk into danger. I'm coming too."

Silentstorm sagged, visibly relieved. "Thank you, all of you," she mewed. "Now, come on. We should reach the winding thunderpath soon. I'm not sure when she'll be there to meet us."

 **SCENEBREAK**

Night was already waiting for them when they reached the winding thunderpath. Blazeheart stiffened as he noticed the familiar black she-cat, with the amber eyes that had seemed to bore into him. "It was you!" he gasped in lieu of greeting. "You were the rogue that saw me that day with Scorch!"

Night's amber eyes flashed with alarm as she saw how many cats were approaching. "I told you to come alone!" she hissed at Silentstorm, crouching against the flat gray stone.

"I'm expecting kits," Silentstorm mewed coolly. "I wasn't about to walk alone into what could have been an ambush."

"And how am I supposed to trust that _I'm_ not walking into an ambush?" Night argued, lashing her tail.

Silentstorm's gray gaze was calm as she sat on the flat stone, the other cats following suit. "These are my closest friends," she said firmly. "I trust them with my life, and with my secret. We haven't told any cat about you, I promise. I trusted you, now you're going to have to trust me."

Night still seemed suspicious, but after a few moments, she began to creep towards the Clan cats, slowly daring to rise back to her paws. She sniffed curiously in the direction of the Clan cats. "I smell RiverClan, and ShadowClan, and WindClan," she grunted, suspicion still flickering in her amber eyes. "What sort of ThunderClan cat counts enemy warriors as her closest friends?"

"I do," Silentstorm mewed firmly. "They're here to help."

The rogue's curious gaze swept over all of the cats. It seemed that she had initially been too distracted by her suspicion to take in what they looked like. But now, Blazeheart saw her gaze sweep over all of them – only for the she-cat to freeze in shock when she saw Darkbreeze. "You... you're Darkkit, aren't you?" she breathed, something like longing in her amber eyes. "You're Breeze's daughter. You've grown so much."

Darkbreeze pulled back her ears, baring her teeth at the rogue. "It's Dark _breeze_ ," she snarled, her tone making Night take a step back. "And don't act like I'm supposed to be happy to see you. Breeze stole my sister's son and drove my Clan from their home, and you helped him. I don't want anything to do with either one of you." She glanced back at Silentstorm for a moment before adding, "But I trust Silentstorm with my life. If she says you're on her side, I'm willing to believe her." She flashed her teeth again, snarling, "That doesn't mean I trust you."

Night lowered her head, looking embarrassed. "Of course not," she murmured. "I shouldn't have expected... I'm sorry." She gave Darkbreeze a last, almost regretful glance, before turning back to Silentstorm. "Like I told you the other day, I want to help the Clans defeat Breeze. We have more time today, so we can discuss tactics, and how many cats we want to try and win to our side."

"Hang on." Specklefoot was staring at Night with narrowed eyes, suspicion still glittering in her amber gaze. "You're asking us to take a lot on faith. You're Breeze's mother – how do we know you aren't just trying to learn where the Clans are hiding so you can tell him and bring a battle patrol to attack us?" She rose to her paws, taking a step towards the rogue with her hackles raised. To her credit, Night didn't flinch, watching the warrior with a calm gaze. "Why are we supposed to trust you?"

Night held the warrior's gaze for a few moments, before looking away, sighing. "It's a long story," she mewed quietly. "But if I'm asking you to trust me, I guess you deserve to know."

"I was an older warrior when Crowfeather asked me to be his mate. This was just after he'd come back from trying to run away with Leafpool." She turned to look back at the others, something fierce sparking in her eyes. Blazeheart was beginning to see the proud, sometimes arrogant she-cat that his father had described in the past. "I was no fool. I knew he didn't love me. But I was getting older, and while I'd never really been one to moon over toms, I did want to raise kits before I got too old for it. So I said yes. Breezekit was born not long after."

Her amber gaze grew fond as she spoke of her son. "He was so sweet as a kit, so innocent. And I was so happy to finally be a mother." After a moment, her gaze grew sad again. "Maybe that's why it took me so long to realize what I was doing wrong. I was too protective of him, too forgiving of any fault. I thought I was helping him, making up for his father." A growl had entered her tone. "Crowfeather was never there for Breeze. He ignored him at best, and tore him down at worst, made him feel worse about himself."

"That's a lie!" Darkbreeze spat, moved to anger once again. "Crowfeather was a great warrior! He was always there for me and Nightfern!"

Night got angry this time too, pinning her ears back and glaring at her son's daughter. "He was a terrible father," she growled bluntly. When Darkbreeze opened her mouth to argue again, Night headed her off. "I don't know if he changed later on. Maybe he did. But he was never there for Breeze like he deserved." The anger seemed to fade from her as she continued, "But I wasn't much better. Crowfeather was too hard on Breeze, but I was too soft on him. I cared more about making him happy than I did about teaching him right and wrong, or punishing him when he hurt others." She sighed. "All I wanted was for him to feel loved. I didn't see what I was creating."

"When Onestar exiled Breeze after the Dark Battle, I left with him because I honestly thought WindClan had wronged him," the rogue contined. Blazeheart could hear heavy regret in her tone. "His mentor had always talked down to him and scolded him, and all the Clan ever seemed to see were his mistakes, not when he actually did good. They never gave him a chance to be a loyal warrior." She sighed. "That's how I saw it anyway. And so when he was exiled, I left with him." The she-cat fell silent for a few moments, her head hung low as she stared at the ground, apparently lost in thought.

Blazeheart shared a glance with Lightfoot. He had heard from the older warriors growing up about how arrogant and prickly the mother of Breeze had been. But that wasn't what he was seeing in front of him now. This was an old she-cat, full of regret and loss, willing to turn on her own son in order to right what had been wronged. He wanted to hate the rogue she-cat who had helped kill loyal warriors and drive the Clans from their homes, but all he could feel right now was pity.

He took a step toward her, his tone soft. "What happened after that?" he asked gently.

Night looked up at him, heavy sorrow in her amber gaze. "At first, we wandered together, just trying to stay alive," she rasped. "He was so full of anger – and so was I, I guess. But I thought if we could make a life for ourselves as rogues, just get away from all the cats who didn't appreciate us, that we would be alright." Her gaze hardened. "But then we found Sol. He was half-starved, he's useless as a hunter, and paranoid since rogues kept stealing his kills. But he always did have a way of talking. He told Breeze about this other Clan had used to know, a Clan that lived in a gorge. He told Breeze how that Clan had betrayed him, and how he'd vowed ever since to try and destroy everything that any Clan ever stood for. I think that was when Breeze really found his purpose. After that, he started gathering together rogues and kittypets, and talking about the injustices of the Clans and how they had to be stopped."

Shame burned in the she-cat's eyes for a moment. "I... I believed him, at first. I had seen how the Clan stood by and did nothing while Crowfeather neglected his son. How they'd bullied and mistreated my son. I really did think that the warrior code was unjust, and that the Clans deserved to be disbanded." She sighed, lowering her head. "But then it got violent. I justified the attack on the apprentices at the Gathering because I thought it was something we had to do to get the Clans to take us seriously. It wasn't like we _really_ hurt them. But then Breeze ordered us to kill one cat from each Clan during the half moon. I kept lying to myself, thinking that one cat from each Clan wasn't so bad if it meant that no cat would be mistreated like Breeze again. I didn't mind the attack on ThunderClan's camp so much – it was open battle, not skulking around in the dark hunting cats like prey, and we all knew the Three had to be taken out if we ever had a chance to win."

"But it just kept getting worse and worse. I started to realize how many cats were dying." Night closed her eyes, as if trying to ward off a painful memory. "That ginger kit in WindClan was the worst of it," she rasped. "I think he was Sedgewhisker's son. I was with Ice in the nursery, trying to help steal one of the kits, on Breeze's orders." At Darkbreeze's growl, she flinched, but kept going. "The ginger kit was trying to protect the younger kits, and Ice just... just sliced through his throat, like it was nothing." A shudder ran through her pelt, her voice catching. Blazeheart could see horror in her gaze,. just as raw as if Yewkit's body was still in front of her. "He was so tiny, just curled up on himself with blood all over him. I couldn't believe he was dead. And Ice just sneered, like it was nothing. Like she was _proud_ of it."

"That was when I realized just how wrong all of it was, how cruel my son had become – and what I had become for him. And I knew I couldn't be loyal to him anymore. The wrongs that WindClan had done him couldn't justify any of this bloodshed, not if innocent kits and cats who had never met Breeze were suffering for it." Night looked up at the warriors, seeming to implore them to understand. "But by then, Breeze was too powerful to stand up to. He had too many cats following him. I had to wait until he was vulnerable, and I could actually do something to stop him."

She lifted her chin. "It came sooner than I thought. When the plan with the fire failed, most cats thought that would be enough. All they'd really wanted was the chance to get the land back that Breeze had convinced them was stolen from them, and to live in peace. But Breeze is obsessed. All he wants is to destroy the Clans. Ever since you went into hiding, he's sent out patrols every day to try and track you down. Cats aren't hunting as often as they should be, because Breeze either has them battle training or searching for the Clans. A lot of my campmates are starting to resent him."

"Which is why you think some of them would turn on him to fight for us," Eeltooth realized aloud.

Night nodded. "Breeze realized a lot of cats were starting to get dissatisfied, so he chose his most loyal supporters to be his guards. They get to order around the other cats, and keep an eye on them. He restricts when his cats eat, except for the guards, and any cats who step out of line are punished."

Anger flared in Silentstorm's blind gaze, a growl in her throat. "It sounds cruel," she growled.

"It is. But it's also good for the Clans." Night's gaze had grown intense. "Don't you see? Once, the rogues were bound to Breeze through actual loyalty and common cause. But now..."

"...he's controlling them through fear," Darkbreeze finished grimly. "If his cats are only following him because they're afraid, and we show them that we can defeat him, they'll join us."

Night nodded. "Which is why I came to talk to the Silent One," she explained. "I knew that Silentstorm would be able to help convince my campmates, and convince the Clans to trust us."

Silentstorm twitched oddly, something like panic in her gray gaze. Blazeheart just swapped a baffled look with Lightfoot, and he could see that Darkbreeze, Specklefoot, and Eeltooth were just as confused. "The Silent One?" he repeated, tone full of confusion. "What does that mean?"

Night looked at the other warriors with equal confusion, gaze flitting to Silentstorm for a moment. "You mean... you don't know about the prophecy?" she asked uncertainly.

Blazeheart felt his hackles starting to raise, feeling something ominous coming over him. "Prophecy?" Darkbreeze echoed, sounding equally concerned.

"No, they didn't know," Silentstorm mewed, sounding defeated. "And I was hoping it could stay that way." Every cat's gaze flew to her. Blazeheart didn't entirely understand what was going on yet, but he was starting to feel more and more uneasy by the moment.

Night's pelt fluffed out in embarrassment, but she did her best to cover it up, growling indignantly, "Well, how was I supposed to know? You said these were the cats you trusted with your life, and you told them about me. I just assumed they would know."

Silentstorm looked like she was about to start an argument, then sighed. "You're right. It's my fault. And maybe... maybe they should know."

"Silentstorm?" Darkbreeze's mew was slow, full of uncertainty. "What are you talking about?"

The blind warrior turned to the other cats, facing them as they all looked at her. Slowly, she explained, "Not long after Breeze started attacking the Clans a second time, a StarClan cat came to me in my dreams. She said she was Hollyleaf – our father's sister, Blazeheart." Blazeheart stiffened. He had heard the tales of the brave Hollyleaf, who had died saving Ivypool in the dark battles, as a kit. "She told me that I was the one destined to stop the darkness, and bring peace to the Clans."

"To stop the darkness?" Eeltooth repeated, sounding stunned. "Does that mean you'll defeat Breeze?"

Silentstorm hesitated. There was something in her gaze that made Blazeheart think she was holding back, but he didn't know what. "Maybe. I don't know, and neither did Hollyleaf. All she knew were the words of the prophecy." She paused, seeming to hesitate before she told her friends the prophecy. "Dark times are coming. Only blind loyalty and silent sacrifice can save the Clans."

Blazeheart was finally starting to comprehend what she was saying. "And that prophecy... it means that StarClan chose you?" The tom was overcome with awe. His sister was the subject of a prophecy from StarClan. He already had a father who had been part of a prophecy, but he had never imagined that he or his sister would ever get that kind of honor. A sense of wonder came over him, but as the truth really started to sink in, fear mixed in as well. The burden of saving the Clans was suddenly on his sister's shoulders. The prophecy called for blind loyalty and silent sacrifice... what kind of sacrifice? What would his sister have to lose in order to fulfill her destiny? Suddenly, his earlier awe seemed foolish, and dread began to take over.

After a moment, something else occurred to him. "Wait... you knew? All this time you knew, and you didn't tell any cat?" _Didn't tell me?_ Ever since they had reconciled about her leaving to help RiverClan, Silentstorm and Blazeheart had been as close as ever, trusting each other with pretty much everything. Blazeheart had never dreamed that she was keeping a secret this big from him.

Silentstorm managed to look ashamed. "I know," she murmured. "I'm sorry. But I didn't want to drag other cats into this before I knew what the prophecy meant. It was my burden."

Lightfoot rose to his paws, approaching his mate and rubbing his muzzle against hers. "That doesn't mean we couldn't have helped you," he murmured, almost too softly for Blazeheart to hear.

Silentstorm sighed, melting into her mate's embrace. "I know, and if I'd known what StarClan wanted me to do, I could have asked for help. But I still don't know exactly what the prophecy needs me to do. And until I knew, I didn't think it was worth bothering other cats with. Especially since I didn't know if any cat would believe me without proof."

Blazeheart had to pause at that. If Silentstorm had told him before, would he really have believed her? _Of course,_ came the immediate answer. He and his sister had always relied on each other. If she had told him before that she had been told by StarClan about a prophecy, he would have believed her, because he knew she would do the same for him.

Suddenly, a thought came to him. "How come _you_ know about the prophecy?" he asked, turning to Night.

"Breeze talks about it, sometimes," she answers. "I don't know where he heard it – maybe the Dark Forest spirits know about it or something. He said that there's a Silent One destined to stop him, and he's determined to make sure that doesn't happen. He wants to kill the Clans more than anything, and it's alienating many of his cats." She stood, her tone becoming more urgent. "If you promise not to tell your leaders until the time is right, I promise I can sway enough cats to our side for the Clans to win. But you'll have to trust me. We can talk strategy now, and over the next few days and moons, I can start recruiting cats. I'll bring them in groups here, and I can tell Breeze that I'm heading patrols to look for the Clans. He won't suspect a thing. We'll have to train with these cats and make sure they're really willing to fight, and when we've won their loyalty enough, then you can tell your leaders."

The warriors exchanged uncertain glances. After a few moments, Silentstorm spoke, Lightfoot sitting beside her. "I trust her," she mewed quietly. "I think we should let her help us. But it's up to you if you want to work with her."

"Of course I'm helping," Lightfoot mewed immediately, pressing against Silentstorm's side. "I don't know Night, and I don't want to leave you to meet her alone."

"I would never hurt an expecting queen," Night sniffed.

Lightfoot turned a glare on the rogue, his tone unusually sharp. "Forgive me if I don't take your word on that," he growled.

"Well, I'm in," Eeltooth grunted. His whiskers twitched as he glanced at Silentstorm. "A prophecy, huh? I guess I shouldn't be surprised. You always did act like you should be treated like some hero sent from Silverpelt."

Silentstorm flattened her ears back, looking embarrassed. "Hey, I got better, didn't I?" she mewed sheepishly.

"You did, and that's why I'm happy to help," Eeltooth mewed, without his usual gruffness. "I think you're right. Night can help us, and I'm willing to trust her."

Specklefoot lifted her chin. "Me too. I think this is the best thing we can do for our Clans right now. And prophecy or no prophecy, I trust you, Silentstorm."

"I don't like working with Night, but I think our Clans are going to need her help before this is over," Darkbreeze muttered. She seemed to gain some of her old cheer as she glanced at Silentstorm. "Who'd have known that the nosy little apprentice I rescued from that storm would end up being StarClan's chosen hero? I'm glad to be a part of it, at least."

Silentstorm purred as, one by one, her friends voiced their support. "Thank you, all of you," she murmured. She flicked her ears towards her brother, mewing uncertainly, "Blazeheart?"

The tom hesitated. On the one paw, it was still hard to believe that Silentstorm hadn't told him something as big as this. But as he thought about it more, the less it seemed to matter. A prophecy from StarClan was a huge burden, and the fate of the Clans rested on his sister. He could understand why she hadn't wanted to confide in any cat. And she would need his support, and the support of her friends, if she was going to fulfill the prophecy. "Of course I'm in," he mewed clearly.

Silentstorm rose to her paws, new confidence in her gaze. "Good," she said. "Then let's get started."

* * *

Hoo boy, this is a long one. And maybe a little repetitive at the end. But I wanted to see each cat's reaction to learning about the prophecy, so whatever.

So we learn of Night's reasons for wanting to help the Clans, and Silentstorm's friends and family finally learn about the prophecy. And yet she doesn't tell them about Shade. ^^ It's nice for Blazeheart to finally be in on the secret, or at least part of it.

Next chapter will be in Blazeheart's POV, and there's going to be a time skip.


	14. Chapter Twelve

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 5: Code of the Forest  
Chapter Twelve

"Cats of all Clans, this Gathering has begun!"

Blazeheart stared up at Mistystar, who stood atop the overturned block. Over a moon had passed since Silentstorm and her friends had met with Night. The Gathering had come again, and it wasn't just Clan cats gathered tonight. The city cats who had allied with the Clans were sitting among the crowd, listening to the report. Even more surprising, Rizzo was sitting at the front with the other leaders. After some argument, the leaders had come to the agreement that the city cats saw Rizzo as enough of a leader that she could stand with the other leaders. She had also been assessing the progress of the city cats the last few days, and would make her report on their progress.

Mistystar began the announcements. "Scalepaw and Steampaw passed their warrior assessments three days ago, and have now earned their warrior names. They are Scaleshine and Steamfrost!"

"Scaleshine! Steamfrost! Scaleshine! Steamfrost!" Blazeheart spotted the new warriors, holding their heads high. There was something familiar about Steamfrost's strong frame, and dark tabby pelt, but he couldn't place it.

"We also have four new apprentices tonight. Mossypaw, Rosepaw, Poppypaw, and Pebblepaw have started their training, and are being trained by Swanfall, Petalfur, Mallownose, and Slushfoot."

Cheers rose for the new apprentices. "Mossypaw! Rosepaw! Poppypaw! Pebblepaw!" Blazeheart could see Reedwhisker staring at them proudly from his spot near the front – they were his kits with Duskfur.

With Mistystar's report concluded, she stepped off of the overturned block. Tigerstar leaped atop it in her place. "Minktail's litter was born four sunrises ago," he announced in his deep rumble. "Sprucekit, Brightkit, and Duskkit are all healthy and strong, and will be good additions to ShadowClan."

Cats cheered louder at the announcement of the new kits. Blazeheart had seen them for the first time just a few days ago. Brightkit was a sleek white she-cat, and Sprucekit had his mother's light brown tabby fur. But Duskkit was so similar a dark brown tabby to her father that she looked like his reflection. The Tigerstar blood still ran strong in his family, it seemed. Minktail's brother had his own kits with Smokeflight as well now, born a moon earlier. Applekit, Pinekit, and Spiderkit were growing strong, and Smokeflight and Addertooth adored them.

Neither Sedgewhisker or Bramblestar had anything of great consequence to report, so Rizzo came to stand on the overturned block next. "The general training sessions have been advancing well," she announced, with the same authority and brisk command as any Clan leader. Blazeheart could almost believe she was a Clan leader, if not for the green collar around her neck. "Scram and Ruckus have proven to be experienced fighters. Tenshu, Oak and Scurry have all taken to the lessons well. Oak and Scurry mastered fighting as a pair, and Tenshu performed an excellent leap-and-hold a few days ago."

Polite cheers rose for the rogues and loners in question. Blazeheart saw Oak give Scurry a pleased nod, which the skittish rogue nervously returned. Oak wasn't as big as Ruckus or large warriors like Tigerstar, but he was still a decent-sized tom, with hard muscle under his light tabby pelt, and scars on his face and ears. It wasn't a surprise that he'd been in fights before. Scurry was smaller and lighter in frame, and seemed nervous around other cats, but she also had her fair share of scratches and scars, and there was something determined in her green gaze even if she was nervous. Tenshu seemed uncomfortable with so many cats around her, but she lifted her head proudly as her accomplishments were mentioned, her tortoiseshell pelt fluffed out in pride. There was something sneaky about the tortoiseshell that made Blazeheart uneasy, but she was friendly enough, and a fierce fighter.

Rizzo continued, "Over the last few days, I have sat in on all of the kittypet and loner one-on-one training sessions. Moth has advanced swiftly in his training. I saw him best his mentor Olivenose during a training session, and she assures me that his training is coming along very well."

Blazeheart cast a surprised glance at the loner. Moth was a small tabby, and with his lithe frame and awkwardly large ears, he certainly didn't look like a cat who would take easily to fighting. He saw Olivenose give her apprentice a proud glance, and Moth lifted his chin, looking pleased.

"Chipmunk and Hoover have also taken well to their training," Rizzo continued. Blazeheart could see Hoover in the crowd, staring at every cat around him with wide eyes. Even after two moons, the skittish kittypet still looked at every cat around him like the were going to pounce on hi m at any second. At least he seemed more comfortable with his mentor Robinwing now. "They performed excellent shoulder drops the other day. However, their defensive skills could use more work."

"Whisp, Cosima, Velma, Winnie, Maisie, and Cosmo have shown their eagerness and dedication in their training, but I feel they still have some time to go before I can, in good conscience, send them into battle," Rizzo continued firmly. Cosima winced nearby, embarrassment in the prickle of her pelt, but Velma spoke to her in a low voice, and she seemed to relax a little. Cosmo didn't seem too bothered, and Whisp just nodded, looking frustrated with himself. Winnie and Maisie were nodding slowly as well, looking accepting of Rizzo's decision. "I believe another moon of training is in order before we will be ready for our attack on Breeze's camp."

Her announcement drew complaining cries from the crowd. "But we've already been in the city for three moons!" Tunnelshade called out, pelt fluffing out indignantly. "We need to win our home back!"

"We've waited long enough!" Skystripe said roughly. Several other cats called out agreement.

"That's enough!" Bramblestar rumbled, glaring at the cats who had spoken out. "We will wait as long as we have to wait."

Even as Bramblestar spoke, Rizzo was glaring crowd, her tail lashing. "You Clan cats take six moons to train your apprentices," she snapped, her back arched in anger. "Why do you expect cats with even less experience to learn faster?"

To Blazeheart's surprise, he could see some of the warriors glaring at those who had spoken out. "Shut up, frogbrain," he saw Minnowtail hiss, cuffing Tunnelshade over the head with one paw. "These cats are sticking their necks out for us. So quit complaining." Whisp glanced at his mentor, looking surprised, but also pleased. He saw Finstrike and Eeltooth glaring at cats as well, Honeyheart staring at her brother with narrowed eyes, and Lionblaze and Bumblestripe standing near their apprentices, speaking to them in low voices.

As the crowd began to calm, Sedgewhisker spoke up. "If Rizzo says that the city cats need another moon, then we'll wait another moon." There was a certain calmness to the she-cat that Blazeheart hadn't seen before. She glanced at Rizzo, something friendly in her gaze as she gave her a small nod, which the kittypet returned. "These cats have agreed to risk their lives for us. We need their help to win. We have survived this long in the city, we can survive another moon."

"Sedgewhisker is right," Mistystar said, something like pride in her icy gaze as she glanced at the young leader. "We will wait until our allies are ready." She gave a single lash of her tail. "This Gathering has ended."

The crowd began to break up, cats starting to retreat to their nests for the night. It was well past moonhigh, but every cat except the youngest kits had stayed away for the Gathering. A few cats lingered, though, and Blazeheart was among them. He joined Lionblaze as his father was talking with Cosima and Velma, with Oak and Chipmunk standing nearby.

"Sorry about some of the warriors tonight," Lionblaze was telling Cosima. The huge tabby towered over his soft-furred kittypet apprentice, but even in the faint moonlight Blazeheart could see that muscle was starting to replace the softness under Cosima's pelt. She wasn't quite the soft kittypet she had been when they'd started training the city cats. "Some cats are mousebrains."

"More than some," Velma commented with a snort. "Some of your warriors seem to have fluff for brains."

Blazeheart's whiskers twitched in amusement. "Fair point," he mewed. He himself had had doubts about the kittypets being able to learn to fight, but the behavior from some of the other cats was just appalling.

"Clan cats have never been the most sensitive when it comes to kittypets, unfortunately," Lionblaze explained. "And now, with being stuck in the city so long, with everyone missing home and still grieving what we lost... well, tempers get high."

"That's understandable," Cosima mewed carefully, worry glittering in her amber gaze. "But some of these cats really look down on us. And then they expect us to fight for them!"

Lionblaze sighed. "I know. And I'm sorry." He reached out his muzzle, bumping his nose against hers in a friendly gesture. "I'll talk to some of the warriors about it."

"Thank you," Cosima mewed. She didn't seem entirely convinced, but she still seemed grateful for her mentor's offer. She turned to Velma, mewing, "We better get back to the nest. It's going to be a long walk."

Velma nodded. "Hopefully our house folk haven't locked us out."

Oak, who had been chatting nearby with Chipmunk, turned towards the kittypets. "That's near my den," he mewed. "I can walk with you, if you like."

Cosima perked up. "That would be nice," she purred. "We'd love the company."

"I guess I should get going too," Chipmunk mewed, whisking his tail. "I picked out a spot to sleep earlier – hopefully some other loner, or dog, hasn't snatched it up."

Oak glanced at the smaller tom. "I saw the nest you picked," he mewed with a note of concern. "I've seen a dog hunting there at night a lot. It might not be safe." He flicked his tail thoughtfully before mewing, "Why not come share my den tonight? It's not my usual den, that one's in the woods, but it's safe enough, and comfortable."

The smaller tom blinked, clearly surprised. "Really?" There was a note of surprise in his tone, and pleasure. "You'd share your den with a loner?"

"With a fellow trainee," Oak mewed, sounding amused at Chipmunk's surprise. "We've been training together for two moons, it's not like I can leave you to get savaged by a dog or anything. I think I can trust you."

Chipmunk curled his tail, looking pleased. "Then sure, I'd love to." After every cat made their final goodbyes, he followed Oak as he, Cosima, and Velma started to make their way to the broken window. Blazeheart watched as they leaped up onto the flat edge of the hole in the stone wall, then disappeared as they leaped down onto the other side.

After a few moments, he turned back to his father. "Well, it's getting late," he mewed. "I'm going to check on Ambertalon and Silentstorm really quick, then I'm heading to my nest for the night."

Lionblaze purred. "Sounds good." He touched his nose to his son's ear. "Goodnight." He padded away towards the warrior's den, leaving Blazeheart to approach the nursery alone.

Ambertalon and Silentstorm had been at the Gathering, but had been standing somewhere else in the crowd, and had retreated to the nursery before Blazeheart. As he padded into the den, he saw Silentstorm settling into her nest, Ambertalon already stretched out on hers. Silentstorm's belly had grown very rounded in the last two moons, but Ambertalon's was even larger, looking incredibly uncomfortable as she laid on her moss nest. She looked as though she were mere days away from kitting. "Hey," he mewed quietly as he approached her nest.

Her amber eyes opened, blinking sleepily at him in the darkness. "Hey," she mewed groggily in reply, reaching up her muzzle to brush against his. "What's up?"

"Just checking in." He sniffed at her belly, a purr rising in his throat. "Not long now, huh?"

Ambertalon purred too, her amber gaze filled with love. "No, not long now," she agreed, glancing at her rounded belly. "I'll be glad to be able to walk around without waddling and shuffling like an elder again," she joked, whiskers twitching. She reached up her muzzle again, purring, "And I can't wait to finally meet these kits."

"They're going to be the best kits ever," he whispered, joy making his pelt prickle. "Just you wait." Blazeheart gave her a final, gentle lick on the muzzle, murmured a final goodbye, then padded away. He heard Ambertalon settle back onto her nest, a gentle snore rising only a few moments later. The she-cat barely seemed to have any energy left now that she was this close to kitting.

He approached Silentstorm's nest next. The black she-cat was as lazy as Ambertalon these days, but she didn't look tired now. She had her head lifted, her ears perked as Blazeheart approached. As they brushed muzzles in greeting, she whispered, "How was the meeting yesterday?"

Blazeheart stiffened. Over the last moon, Night had come to them a few times, with some of her fellow rogues in tow. Silentstorm and her friends had met with these rogues each time, telling them about the warrior code, assessing their loyalty, and even giving them some battle training. Blazeheart still felt uneasy going behind the backs of his Clanmates, but he knew that the rogues didn't trust the Clans enough yet for every cat to know. They would be able to use the next moon to slowly build that trust. Yesterday, Silentstorm had tried to slip away with the rest of her friends, but Leafpool had insisted she take the day to rest. The others had gone without her.

"It went well," he murmured back. "Night brought a new cat this time, Drizzle. He seems like a calm enough sort. We talked with him for a bit, and we worked on battle moves with the others."

Silentstorm nodded slowly. "Good," she mewed quietly. "Next time we meet her, we can tell her that there's a moon left until the attack."

Blazeheart's tail fluffed out in surprise. "Do we trust her enough for that yet?" he questioned, pelt prickling with unease. "Telling her when the attack on Breeze is going to be?"

"Hmm. Maybe you're right." Silentstorm looked thoughtful for a moment. "Maybe we'll just tell her to speed things up. There's no harm in being cautious. She'll have to know soon, though. We'll have to tell the leaders some time before the attack, after all, and then Night and her allies will be in on everything about the attack."

The tom hesitated. "I guess you're right. But let's not tell her right away. Might as well keep working with her and her cats for a while first, and make sure we know that they're really loyal."

"Sounds good to me. Did she say when the next meeting would be?"

Blazeheart nodded, mewing, "In two days, by the stone blocks."

Silentstorm gave a flick of her tail. "I'll make sure I'm there this time." Her jaws split in a massive yawn, a sleepy light coming to her gray eyes. "If I can stay awake long enough."

Despite his worries about the rogues, Blazeheart managed to twitch his whiskers in amusement. "Get some sleep," he mewed, reaching out to give her a friendly lick to the ear. "You're not much farther from kitting than Ambertalon."

Silentstorm laid her head down on her nest, her eyes starting to close. "Not a bad idea," she mumbled, sounding half-asleep already.

Purring, Blazeheart turned and began to pad away, leaving his sister and mate behind as he exited the nursery.

Once he was out of the den, though, his worries started to come flooding back. They had been working together with the rogues for a moon now, and he was definitely starting to trust some of them. But some he was still unsure of, and none more than Night. What if this was all still a trap? What if all they were doing was giving secret fighting moves and information to the enemy?

Even worse than that was the worry of the prophecy. Ever since they had learned it, Silentstorm's friends had kept the secret of her prophecy, only discussing it among themselves. But it still weighed heavily on Blazeheart's mind. If it was truly his sister's destiny to save the Clans, how could she do that as a queen? And what did the silent sacrifice in the prophecy refer to? What would she have to sacrifice to save the Clans? Any possibility that Blazeheart thought of just made him more and more worried. He was starting to see why Silentstorm hadn't wanted to tell anyone about the prophecy – without knowing what it meant, all it did was cause endless worry.

But there was nothing he could do about the prophecy, or the rogues, that night. All he could do was continue to work with Night, hope she was truly on their side, and hope that Silentstorm's destiny unfolded in a way that wasn't as dreadful as Blazeheart feared. And whatever came next for her, he knew that he would always fight beside her, and so would Specklefoot, Eeltooth, Darkbreeze, and Lightfoot. His sister wasn't alone. That was the one thought that gave him comfort.

With a final sigh, he turned and began padding towards the warrior's den, ready to turn in for the Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 5: Code of the Forest  
Chapter Twelve

"Cats of all Clans, this Gathering has begun!"

Blazeheart stared up at Mistystar, who stood atop the overturned block. Over a moon had passed since Silentstorm and her friends had met with Night. The Gathering had come again, and it wasn't just Clan cats gathered tonight. The city cats who had allied with the Clans were sitting among the crowd, listening to the report. Even more surprising, Rizzo was sitting at the front with the other leaders. After some argument, the leaders had come to the agreement that the city cats saw Rizzo as enough of a leader that she could stand with the other leaders. She had also been assessing the progress of the city cats the last few days, and would make her report on their progress.

Mistystar began the announcements. "Scalepaw and Steampaw passed their warrior assessments three days ago, and have now earned their warrior names. They are Scaleshine and Steamfrost!"

"Scaleshine! Steamfrost! Scaleshine! Steamfrost!" Blazeheart spotted the new warriors, holding their heads high. There was something familiar about Steamfrost's strong frame, and dark tabby pelt, but he couldn't place it.

"We also have four new apprentices tonight. Mossypaw, Rosepaw, Poppypaw, and Pebblepaw have started their training, and are being trained by Swanfall, Petalfur, Mallownose, and Slushfoot."

Cheers rose for the new apprentices. "Mossypaw! Rosepaw! Poppypaw! Pebblepaw!" Blazeheart could see Reedwhisker staring at them proudly from his spot near the front – they were his kits with Duskfur.

With Mistystar's report concluded, she stepped off of the overturned block. Tigerstar leaped atop it in her place. "Minktail's litter was born four sunrises ago," he announced in his deep rumble. "Sprucekit, Brightkit, and Duskkit are all healthy and strong, and will be good additions to ShadowClan."

Cats cheered louder at the announcement of the new kits. Blazeheart had seen them for the first time just a few days ago. Brightkit was a sleek white she-cat, and Sprucekit had his mother's light brown tabby fur. But Duskkit was so similar a dark brown tabby to her father that she looked like his reflection. The Tigerstar blood still ran strong in his family, it seemed. Minktail's brother had his own kits with Smokeflight as well now, born a moon earlier. Applekit, Pinekit, and Spiderkit were growing strong, and Smokeflight and Addertooth adored them.

Neither Sedgewhisker or Bramblestar had anything of great consequence to report, so Rizzo came to stand on the overturned block next. "The general training sessions have been advancing well," she announced, with the same authority and brisk command as any Clan leader. Blazeheart could almost believe she was a Clan leader, if not for the green collar around her neck. "Scram and Ruckus have proven to be experienced fighters. Tenshu, Oak and Scurry have all taken to the lessons well. Oak and Scurry mastered fighting as a pair, and Tenshu performed an excellent leap-and-hold a few days ago."

Polite cheers rose for the rogues and loners in question. Blazeheart saw Oak give Scurry a pleased nod, which the skittish rogue nervously returned. Oak wasn't as big as Ruckus or large warriors like Tigerstar, but he was still a decent-sized tom, with hard muscle under his light tabby pelt, and scars on his face and ears. It wasn't a surprise that he'd been in fights before. Scurry was smaller and lighter in frame, and seemed nervous around other cats, but she also had her fair share of scratches and scars, and there was something determined in her green gaze even if she was nervous. Tenshu seemed uncomfortable with so many cats around her, but she lifted her head proudly as her accomplishments were mentioned, her tortoiseshell pelt fluffed out in pride. There was something sneaky about the tortoiseshell that made Blazeheart uneasy, but she was friendly enough, and a fierce fighter.

Rizzo continued, "Over the last few days, I have sat in on all of the kittypet and loner one-on-one training sessions. Moth has advanced swiftly in his training. I saw him best his mentor Olivenose during a training session, and she assures me that his training is coming along very well."

Blazeheart cast a surprised glance at the loner. Moth was a small tabby, and with his lithe frame and awkwardly large ears, he certainly didn't look like a cat who would take easily to fighting. He saw Olivenose give her apprentice a proud glance, and Moth lifted his chin, looking pleased.

"Chipmunk and Hoover have also taken well to their training," Rizzo continued. Blazeheart could see Hoover in the crowd, staring at every cat around him with wide eyes. Even after two moons, the skittish kittypet still looked at every cat around him like the were going to pounce on hi m at any second. At least he seemed more comfortable with his mentor Robinwing now. "They performed excellent shoulder drops the other day. However, their defensive skills could use more work."

"Whisp, Cosima, Velma, Winnie, Maisie, and Cosmo have shown their eagerness and dedication in their training, but I feel they still have some time to go before I can, in good conscience, send them into battle," Rizzo continued firmly. Cosima winced nearby, embarrassment in the prickle of her pelt, but Velma spoke to her in a low voice, and she seemed to relax a little. Cosmo didn't seem too bothered, and Whisp just nodded, looking frustrated with himself. Winnie and Maisie were nodding slowly as well, looking accepting of Rizzo's decision. "I believe another moon of training is in order before we will be ready for our attack on Breeze's camp."

Her announcement drew complaining cries from the crowd. "But we've already been in the city for three moons!" Tunnelshade called out, pelt fluffing out indignantly. "We need to win our home back!"

"We've waited long enough!" Skystripe said roughly. Several other cats called out agreement.

"That's enough!" Bramblestar rumbled, glaring at the cats who had spoken out. "We will wait as long as we have to wait."

Even as Bramblestar spoke, Rizzo was glaring crowd, her tail lashing. "You Clan cats take six moons to train your apprentices," she snapped, her back arched in anger. "Why do you expect cats with even less experience to learn faster?"

To Blazeheart's surprise, he could see some of the warriors glaring at those who had spoken out. "Shut up, frogbrain," he saw Minnowtail hiss, cuffing Tunnelshade over the head with one paw. "These cats are sticking their necks out for us. So quit complaining." Whisp glanced at his mentor, looking surprised, but also pleased. He saw Finstrike and Eeltooth glaring at cats as well, Honeyheart staring at her brother with narrowed eyes, and Lionblaze and Bumblestripe standing near their apprentices, speaking to them in low voices.

As the crowd began to calm, Sedgewhisker spoke up. "If Rizzo says that the city cats need another moon, then we'll wait another moon." There was a certain calmness to the she-cat that Blazeheart hadn't seen before. She glanced at Rizzo, something friendly in her gaze as she gave her a small nod, which the kittypet returned. "These cats have agreed to risk their lives for us. We need their help to win. We have survived this long in the city, we can survive another moon."

"Sedgewhisker is right," Mistystar said, something like pride in her icy gaze as she glanced at the young leader. "We will wait until our allies are ready." She gave a single lash of her tail. "This Gathering has ended."

The crowd began to break up, cats starting to retreat to their nests for the night. It was well past moonhigh, but every cat except the youngest kits had stayed away for the Gathering. A few cats lingered, though, and Blazeheart was among them. He joined Lionblaze as his father was talking with Cosima and Velma, with Oak and Chipmunk standing nearby.

"Sorry about some of the warriors tonight," Lionblaze was telling Cosima. The huge tabby towered over his soft-furred kittypet apprentice, but even in the faint moonlight Blazeheart could see that muscle was starting to replace the softness under Cosima's pelt. She wasn't quite the soft kittypet she had been when they'd started training the city cats. "Some cats are mousebrains."

"More than some," Velma commented with a snort. "Some of your warriors seem to have fluff for brains."

Blazeheart's whiskers twitched in amusement. "Fair point," he mewed. He himself had had doubts about the kittypets being able to learn to fight, but the behavior from some of the other cats was just appalling.

"Clan cats have never been the most sensitive when it comes to kittypets, unfortunately," Lionblaze explained. "And now, with being stuck in the city so long, with everyone missing home and still grieving what we lost... well, tempers get high."

"That's understandable," Cosima mewed carefully, worry glittering in her amber gaze. "But some of these cats really look down on us. And then they expect us to fight for them!"

Lionblaze sighed. "I know. And I'm sorry." He reached out his muzzle, bumping his nose against hers in a friendly gesture. "I'll talk to some of the warriors about it."

"Thank you," Cosima mewed. She didn't seem entirely convinced, but she still seemed grateful for her mentor's offer. She turned to Velma, mewing, "We better get back to the nest. It's going to be a long walk."

Velma nodded. "Hopefully our house folk haven't locked us out."

Oak, who had been chatting nearby with Chipmunk, turned towards the kittypets. "That's near my den," he mewed. "I can walk with you, if you like."

Cosima perked up. "That would be nice," she purred. "We'd love the company."

"I guess I should get going too," Chipmunk mewed, whisking his tail. "I picked out a spot to sleep earlier – hopefully some other loner, or dog, hasn't snatched it up."

Oak glanced at the smaller tom. "I saw the nest you picked," he mewed with a note of concern. "I've seen a dog hunting there at night a lot. It might not be safe." He flicked his tail thoughtfully before mewing, "Why not come share my den tonight? It's not my usual den, that one's in the woods, but it's safe enough, and comfortable."

The smaller tom blinked, clearly surprised. "Really?" There was a note of surprise in his tone, and pleasure. "You'd share your den with a loner?"

"With a fellow trainee," Oak mewed, sounding amused at Chipmunk's surprise. "We've been training together for two moons, it's not like I can leave you to get savaged by a dog or anything. I think I can trust you."

Chipmunk curled his tail, looking pleased. "Then sure, I'd love to." After every cat made their final goodbyes, he followed Oak as he, Cosima, and Velma started to make their way to the broken window. Blazeheart watched as they leaped up onto the flat edge of the hole in the stone wall, then disappeared as they leaped down onto the other side.

After a few moments, he turned back to his father. "Well, it's getting late," he mewed. "I'm going to check on Ambertalon and Silentstorm really quick, then I'm heading to my nest for the night."

Lionblaze purred. "Sounds good." He touched his nose to his son's ear. "Goodnight." He padded away towards the warrior's den, leaving Blazeheart to approach the nursery alone.

Ambertalon and Silentstorm had been at the Gathering, but had been standing somewhere else in the crowd, and had retreated to the nursery before Blazeheart. As he padded into the den, he saw Silentstorm settling into her nest, Ambertalon already stretched out on hers. Silentstorm's belly had grown very rounded in the last two moons, but Ambertalon's was even larger, looking incredibly uncomfortable as she laid on her moss nest. She looked as though she were mere days away from kitting. "Hey," he mewed quietly as he approached her nest.

Her amber eyes opened, blinking sleepily at him in the darkness. "Hey," she mewed groggily in reply, reaching up her muzzle to brush against his. "What's up?"

"Just checking in." He sniffed at her belly, a purr rising in his throat. "Not long now, huh?"

Ambertalon purred too, her amber gaze filled with love. "No, not long now," she agreed, glancing at her rounded belly. "I'll be glad to be able to walk around without waddling and shuffling like an elder again," she joked, whiskers twitching. She reached up her muzzle again, purring, "And I can't wait to finally meet these kits."

"They're going to be the best kits ever," he whispered, joy making his pelt prickle. "Just you wait." Blazeheart gave her a final, gentle lick on the muzzle, murmured a final goodbye, then padded away. He heard Ambertalon settle back onto her nest, a gentle snore rising only a few moments later. The she-cat barely seemed to have any energy left now that she was this close to kitting.

He approached Silentstorm's nest next. The black she-cat was as lazy as Ambertalon these days, but she didn't look tired now. She had her head lifted, her ears perked as Blazeheart approached. As they brushed muzzles in greeting, she whispered, "How was the meeting yesterday?"

Blazeheart stiffened. Over the last moon, Night had come to them a few times, with some of her fellow rogues in tow. Silentstorm and her friends had met with these rogues each time, telling them about the warrior code, assessing their loyalty, and even giving them some battle training. Blazeheart still felt uneasy going behind the backs of his Clanmates, but he knew that the rogues didn't trust the Clans enough yet for every cat to know. They would be able to use the next moon to slowly build that trust. Yesterday, Silentstorm had tried to slip away with the rest of her friends, but Leafpool had insisted she take the day to rest. The others had gone without her.

"It went well," he murmured back. "Night brought a new cat this time, Drizzle. He seems like a calm enough sort. We talked with him for a bit, and we worked on battle moves with the others."

Silentstorm nodded slowly. "Good," she mewed quietly. "Next time we meet her, we can tell her that there's a moon left until the attack."

Blazeheart's tail fluffed out in surprise. "Do we trust her enough for that yet?" he questioned, pelt prickling with unease. "Telling her when the attack on Breeze is going to be?"

"Hmm. Maybe you're right." Silentstorm looked thoughtful for a moment. "Maybe we'll just tell her to speed things up. There's no harm in being cautious. She'll have to know soon, though. We'll have to tell the leaders some time before the attack, after all, and then Night and her allies will be in on everything about the attack."

The tom hesitated. "I guess you're right. But let's not tell her right away. Might as well keep working with her and her cats for a while first, and make sure we know that they're really loyal."

"Sounds good to me. Did she say when the next meeting would be?"

Blazeheart nodded, mewing, "In two days, by the stone blocks."

Silentstorm gave a flick of her tail. "I'll make sure I'm there this time." Her jaws split in a massive yawn, a sleepy light coming to her gray eyes. "If I can stay awake long enough."

Despite his worries about the rogues, Blazeheart managed to twitch his whiskers in amusement. "Get some sleep," he mewed, reaching out to give her a friendly lick to the ear. "You're not much farther from kitting than Ambertalon."

Silentstorm laid her head down on her nest, her eyes starting to close. "Not a bad idea," she mumbled, sounding half-asleep already.

Purring, Blazeheart turned and began to pad away, leaving his sister and mate behind as he exited the nursery.

Once he was out of the den, though, his worries started to come flooding back. They had been working together with the rogues for a moon now, and he was definitely starting to trust some of them. But some he was still unsure of, and none more than Night. What if this was all still a trap? What if all they were doing was giving secret fighting moves and information to the enemy?

Even worse than that was the worry of the prophecy. Ever since they had learned it, Silentstorm's friends had kept the secret of her prophecy, only discussing it among themselves. But it still weighed heavily on Blazeheart's mind. If it was truly his sister's destiny to save the Clans, how could she do that as a queen? And what did the silent sacrifice in the prophecy refer to? What would she have to sacrifice to save the Clans? Any possibility that Blazeheart thought of just made him more and more worried. He was starting to see why Silentstorm hadn't wanted to tell anyone about the prophecy – without knowing what it meant, all it did was cause endless worry.

But there was nothing he could do about the prophecy, or the rogues, that night. All he could do was continue to work with Night, hope she was truly on their side, and hope that Silentstorm's destiny unfolded in a way that wasn't as dreadful as Blazeheart feared. And whatever came next for her, he knew that he would always fight beside her, and so would Specklefoot, Eeltooth, Darkbreeze, and Lightfoot. His sister wasn't alone. That was the one thought that gave him comfort.

With a final sigh, he turned and began padding towards the warrior's den, ready to turn in for the night.

* * *

Well, I had to stay up until 3 AM to get this done for some reason, even though I could have gone to bed and finished it tomorrow, but I didn't feel like it. So I stayed up. For some reason. And now I'm tired and my head hurts. But at least it's done. *falls over*

Here's the newest chapter. I'm really getting through these fast. :D Dunno how long I can keep up this pace, I'm really jumping into schoolwork tomorrow and after that school is going to have to come first. But I'll still try to get chapters done in a timely manner. :)

So here we get to see another Gathering, and we learn about new warriors and kits and apprentices, as well as the progress of the city cats. I tried to show more of their personalities in this chapter, as we haven't seen much of them yet beyond Rizzo. Sorry about that, other plot stuff got in the way, but I'll try to show more of them soon.

Also, Steamfrost's strong frame looking familiar is because he's a Tigerstar descendant. I explained it all on his Trail of Ashes ref sheet if you wanna take a look. As for the new kits, let's start with Minktail's litter. Brightkit is a white she-cat with dark amber eyes, Sprucekit is a light brown tabby tom with thick fur and yellow eyes, and Duskkit is a dark brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes, and another Tigerstar lookalike. I know, I know, there's too many of them already, but I wanted at least one she-cat one. And yes, when full grown, she will be just as large and muscular as Tigerstar and the others (if she makes it that long).

Now for Smokeflight's litter. Applekit is a pale red-brown tabby she-cat with green eyes, and is named after Applefur, Addertooth's mother who was killed by rogues. Pinekit is a gray tabby she-cat with amber eyes. Spiderkit is a thin black tom with golden eyes. Pinekit and Sprucekit were named such because their parents were feeling kind of homesick and nostalgic about the pine forests of their territory, I think. Spiderkit was named for his thin frame and black pelt. Brightkit was named for her bright white pelt, and Duskkit for her darker pelt and it sounded cool. :P Steamfrost was named after his white chest and ice-blue eyes, by the by, and as a shout-out to his ancestor Hawkfrost.

Also, the mentors for Duskfur's kits are mentioned in the same order as their apprentices. So if Mossypaw is listed first and Swanfall is listed first, then Swanfall is Mossypaw's mentor, and so on.

And we learn that Ambertalon and Silentstorm are very, very close to kitting. ^^ Shouldn't be too long now. I'm really excited to introduce these kits. Out of curiosity, what do you think the kits of each litter will look like/be named? I already have names and descriptions planned, I'm just curious what y'all think.

Also I snuck another Hamilton reference in there. ^^ A minor one, but yeah. 'Cause that's what I do. :P

Next chapter will also be in Blazeheart's POV.


	15. Chapter Thirteen

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 5: Code of the Forest  
Chapter Thirteen

When Blazeheart woke the morning after the Gathering, it wasn't the sounds of warriors leaving their nests, or the chatter of other cats, that roused him from his sleep. It was the agonized cry of a cat in terrible pain. And the cry was all-too familiar.

His eyes flew open, panic snapping him into full awareness. " _Ambertalon!_ " The tom leaped to his paws, tripping over other warriors still lying in their nests in his panic-driven race to the den's entrance. He raced towards the nursery, only to be met at the entrance by Finchwing, who blocked him from entering.

"You should stay out here, Blazeheart." The tom's golden gaze was firm, but sympathetic. Ambertalon's shrieks could still be heard from within the den, making Blazeheart's fur bristle with fear.

"Let me in! I have to see her!" Wild with panic, Blazeheart tried to push past Finchwing, but the tom fended him off easily. Though he was a medicine cat now, Finchwing still stood taller and thicker in build than Blazeheart, and had lost none of his strength. "Let me through!"

Finchwing ended up having to wrestle the warrior to the ground, pinning his shoulders and hindquarters with his greater weight. "Calm down!" he ordered sharply, holding the tom as still as he could, even as Blazeheart fought and thrashed as he tried to free himself. "Leafpool, Willowshine, and Twigclaw are all in there with her, but we can't have too many cats crowding them. They need room to work."

Blazeheart hardly heard him. For two moons he had been looking forward to the birth of his kits with unspeakable joy. But now, hearing her cries of agony, and with memories of Tawnypelt's awful kitting playing over and over in his mind, all he felt was terror. "Please, I have to be with her," he begged, pelt trembling with fear. "I can't lose her!"

Finchwing's expression softened. "You're not going to lose her," he said in a more sympathetic tone. "Ambertalon is a strong, healthy young cat, and she has the best medicine cats in the Clans looking after her. She's going to be fine." He regarded the older tom for a moment, his tone becoming firm again. "Now, I'll let you up, but only if you calm down."

Blazeheart struggled for a few moments more, but finally, the fight died from him. He slumped limply against the cold stone floor. Finchwing waited a few moments, before, apparently satisfied, he released his grip on Blazeheart and stepped aside. Blazeheart rose to his paws, stumbling away numbly. "I'm going back to Ambertalon now," Finchwing mewed, watching Blazeheart carefully. "Stay out here. I promise, I'll come get you if anything happens, and you can come in once the kits are born. But for now, stay out here."

The tom nodded numbly. Finchwing watched him a moment more, then turned and disappeared into the nursery, tail whisking behind him. Blazeheart watched him go, his heart sick with fear. He could still hear the agonized wailing of the she-cat he loved, and it was making him more afraid than he ever remembered feeling before.

He was so distracted, that he didn't realize Snowfall had come to sit beside him until he heard him speak. "It's awful, isn't it?" Blazeheart glanced at his best friend, seeing his own fear echoed in the white tom's face. "I've never heard Ambertalon wail like that."

Blazeheart nodded grimly. He knew that Snowfall could understand the fear he was feeling right now – Ambertalon was his sister, and he would fear her loss just as much as he did. "I just keep remembering Tawnypelt's kitting," he admitted, his voice hoarse with fear. "I'm so scared of that happening to Ambertalon."

Snowfall glanced at his friend, sympathy in his amber gaze. "Ambertalon is a fighter," he mewed quietly. "Always has been. She'd never let something like this take her down." Blazeheart nodded, trying to believe him, but his heart was still heavy with fear. After a few moments, Snowfall suggested, "Why don't we go hunting? There's no use in sitting around here feeling useless and scared."

Blazeheart shook his head firmly. "I'm not leaving the stone barn while Ambertalon is still kitting," he said in a low growl. "I want to be here in case anything happens."

"Alright," Snowfall mewed easily. "Then let's keep ourselves busy, at least. Want to go clean out the elder's den? We'd be giving the apprentices a break as well."

The tabby hesitated, then gave a small nod. He would still be close enough to run right to the nursery if anything went wrong, and it would help keep his mind off of his fear for Ambertalon. The tom stood, following Snowfall as the tom white tom led him towards the elders' den.

All of the elders were sitting up in their nests when the warriors entered, wearing tense expressions as Ambertalon's screeches echoed from the nursery. Cloudtail and Brightheart were sitting together, wearing matching expressions of fear. They looked up as Blazeheart and Snowfall padded into the den. Cloudtail was on his paws in an instant, blue eyes sparkling with fear. "Have you seen Ambertalon?" he demanded immediately, voice cracking with fear. "How is she?"

"We weren't allowed in to see her," Snowfall explained quietly. "We came to clean out the nests and put in fresh bedding."

Brightheart's whiskers twitched, amusement gleaming in her blue eye. "Looking for distractions?" she teased, though Blazeheart could see worry in her gaze as well. "Cloudtail did the same when I was kitting."

From her nest, Sorreltail gave a purr of amusement. "Was forced to find distractions, more like. I remember when you had Whitewing, Firestar had to order him onto a patrol to keep him from physically forcing his way into the nursery."

As the other elders _mrowrred_ in laughter, Cloudtail pinned back his ears, looking embarrassed. "I just wanted to know that you were okay," he muttered.

Brightheart pressed her muzzle against Cloudtail's neck, purring deeply. "But I was fine, and so is Ambertalon," she mewed softly. "Our daughter is strong, Cloudtail. She'll be fine."

The white tom sighed, a shudder running through him. "I know," he sighed. "But after Whitewing, and Dewpaw..."

"I know," Brightheart murmured. "I'm scared of losing her too. But she'll be fine." After a few moments, she turned to look at Snowfall and Blazeheart. "You two can stop worrying too. She-cats have kits all the time. Just trust the medicine cats to look after her."

Blazeheart sighed, trying to ignore the sick feeling of fear in his stomach. "I'll try," he murmured.

Brightheart purred, rising back to standing and approaching Blazeheart, touching her nose to his ear. "Ambertalon loves you a lot," she murmured. "I know you make my daughter happy. And I know that you're going to be a wonderful father. Try to be happy – you're going to meet your kits soon."

 _Kits... my kits. I get to meet my kits._ " For a moment, Blazeheart began to feel joy again, spreading out to the tips of his pelt. Then the worry crept back in.

"Thank you," he murmured. He turned back to Snowfall, mewing, "Come on. Let's get to work."

 **SCENEBREAK**

They worked through the better part of the morning, discarding the dirty moss and fetching fresh moss from the medicine den. Dustpaw had gone to help with the birthing, so he could gain experience in his training, but Icefur and Kestrelflight had stayed in the medicine den in case anyone else needed to be looked after while Ambertalon was kitting. They gave Snowfall and Blazeheart the moss they needed for the nests.

Sometime around sunhigh, Finchwing padded into the elder's den. Blazeheart's head shot up when the medicine cat apprentice arrived, fear and joy rising in him in equal measures. He hadn't heard Ambertalon wail in some time. "How is she?" he rasped, dreading the answer.

Finchwing looked tired, but pleased. "She's fine," he assured Blazeheart. The tom nearly swayed off of his paws out of relief. "You have one daughter."

"Just one kit?" Snowfall asked, sounding concerned.

The medicine cat apprentice shrugged. "It's not uncommon for the first litter to be small," he explained. "But the kit is healthy and strong." He glanced at Blazeheart. "You can go see them now."

For a moment, Blazeheart didn't move. Now that the fear was gone, he was nearly dizzy with joy. _Ambertalon is alright. Our daughter is alright. We have a daughter._ The thoughts played over and over in his mind. _I'm a father._

Finchwing purred in amusement at Blazeheart's stunned reaction. "Come on, mousebrain," he mewed, approaching Blazeheart and nudging him forward with his muzzle. "Ambertalon is waiting for you."

Blazeheart stumbled forward, slowly regaining his posture as he padded towards the den's entrance. As he left, Finchwing called after him, "Ambertalon may not be hungry right away, but she may want to eat soon to regain her strength. Why not grab some prey for her before you go in?"

The tom flicked his tail in acknowledgment as he exited the den. He crossed over to the fresh-kill pile, glancing over the options before plucking a wren off of the pile. His paws seemed lighter than air as he trotted towards the nursery, pelt fluffed out with joy.

As he entered the nursery, he saw the medicine cats crowded around Ambertalon, the other queens lying nearby, keeping the kits away from them. They all looked up as Blazeheart entered the den. "Good, you're here," Willowshine mewed, her green gaze warm. "Come meet your daughter."

The medicine cats backed away from Ambertalon, leaving a path for Blazeheart to approach her. As he got nearer, he could see that his mate looked completely exhausted, but also happy. And at her side was a small lump of fur.

Blazeheart's breath caught. The bundle next to Ambertalon was covered in dusty, pale gray-brown fur, marked with darker stripes. As the kit turned towards Blazeheart, squeaking and mewling, he could see that her front paws and hind legs were white, as well as a large patch of white on her throat, which narrowed into a thick strip of white going down her chest. Her muzzle and nose were white, a little white triangle on the bridge of her nose reaching up to the middle of her eyes, which were screwed shut. He could see her little pink tongue as she opened her mouth in a plaintive mewl.

"Oh Ambertalon," he breathed as he dropped the wren, unable to tear his gaze away. "She's beautiful." A sense of peace and contentment, like he'd never known before, settled over him as he stared at his newborn daughter. He felt as light as a feather, as though he could simply drift away on a breeze.

Ambertalon shifted, lifting her head and looking down at her daughter. The she-cat seemed completely exhausted, but there was tenderness and love in her amber gaze as she looked at the kit. "She's got your stripes, Blazeheart," she whispered, leaning down her muzzle to rasp her tongue over the kit's back. "And your ears."

"And she has your white patches," Blazeheart whispered back, pressing his muzzle against hers with a deep purr. "And your muzzle." He closed his eyes, drinking in the peaceful contentment of the moment. He felt happier than he had ever felt before. "I'm so glad you're both okay. I love you so much, I was so scared."

The small she-cat leaned into the tom's embrace, purring weakly. "You know me. I'm too stubborn to die like that." They stayed like that for several moments, just taking joy in each other's presence.

After several moments, though, the kit began mewling again, and they had to pull away. Ambertalon began grooming the kit, glancing up curiously at the bird lying near Blazeheart's paws. "What is that?" she asked between licks.

"A wren, for you," he explained, nudging it towards her with one paw. "Finchwing said you might be hungry, and I know they're your favorite." Wren feathers were scattered across Ambertalon's nests from previous meals he'd brought her.

Ambertalon purred. "Thank you. I'll have it later. Right now, all I want is to sleep."

As they were speaking, the kit was wriggling around in the nest, shuffling forward blindly. Her muzzle brushed against one of the wren feathers, and she flinched back, her nose tickled by the feather.

Ambertalon's whiskers twitched in amusement. "Maybe wrens will be her favorite too," she joked. She leaned her muzzle down, guiding the kit back to her belly. After a few moments of fumbling, the kit started to nurse, her little white paws kneading at the side of Ambertalon's belly.

Blazeheart purred his amusement as well. An idea came to him after a moment. "Then let's call her Wrenkit," he mewed. While the she-cat's gray-brown pelt didn't have the same rich brown color as a wren, she did look small and pudgy like a wren now, and she had been born in a nest with wren feathers.

The she-cat regarded her daughter thoughtfully. "Wrenkit," she echoed, seeming to test it out. "I like it. Wrenkit it is." She nudged her daughter gently with her muzzle, giving her a gentle lick over her head. "Hello, Wrenkit."

Blazeheart crouched beside Ambertalon, bringing his muzzle close to his kit. "Hello, Wrenkit," he breathed, a thrill of joy running through him as he said his daughter's name for the first time. "Welcome to ThunderClan."

The kit wriggled a little when Blazeheart spoke, but didn't stop nursing. From her nest, Silentstorm called, "That's a good name." Blazeheart nearly jumped; he had forgotten his sister was in the nursery. Her gray gaze gleamed with joy and warmth, her tail curled around her paws as she lay in her nest. "Congratulations, Blazeheart, and you Ambertalon. You'll be wonderful parents."

"Thank you," Blazeheart purred. Ambertalon gave a contented sigh, laying her head down on her nest. Blazeheart circled around and laid beside her, resting his head on her neck and watching Wrenkit as she nursed.

They laid like that for a while, just laying in contented silence. After a while, though, Leafpool approached the couple. "Your families are asking if they can come in," she mewed. "Is that alright?"

Blazeheart and Ambertalon exchanged a glance, before Ambertalon looked back at the medicine cat with a nod. "Send them in," she rasped. She still looked exhausted, but didn't let on as the medicine cat padded away, shifting so that she had her front legs stretched out in front of her and her head lifted up.

After a few moments, Leafpool returned, with Snowfall, Cloudtail, Brightheart, Lionblaze, and Cinderheart in tow. Snowfall went straight to his sister, pressing his muzzle against her in greeting, while the parents came to sat in various spots around the couple.

"She's beautiful," Lionblaze breathed, his amber eyes full of warmth. "A good, strong kit."

"She looks like her mother," Brightheart purred, giving Ambertalon a lick over the ear. "Well done, Ambertalon."

Cinderheart pressed her muzzle to Blazeheart's cheek, purring deeply. "She looks healthy, Blazeheart," she murmured. "Congratulations."

Blazeheart glanced back at his mother, suddenly curious. "Did you ever help queens through their birthings?" he asked. "When you were Cinderpelt?" He never brought up his mother's past as the crippled medicine cat, because he knew his mother didn't often like to talk about it, but now he was seized with a sudden curiosity. How many times had his mother had to face the fear of losing a queen that he'd just faced?

Some emotion, something wistful and sad, flashed in Cinderheart's eyes. "Yes, many times," she murmured.

"Did you lose any of them?" he asked quietly.

Cinderheart flinched. "Yes," she murmured. "My first kitting, in fact. Her name was Silverstream, and she was a RiverClan warrior, but she was the mother of Graystripe's kits."

Blazeheart blinked. "Graystripe? Blossomfall and Bumblestripe's father? He had kits with a RiverClan queen?" He had never met the gray tom, who had died in the same bout of greencough that had claimed the life of his sister, Lichenkit. But he had heard the stories about the former deputy and best friend of Firestar.

"Yes. They were Stormfur and Feathertail, the RiverClan cats that went on the sun-drown journey with Bramblestar and Squirrelflight. You've probably heard of them." Blazeheart nodded. He had heard about Feathertail's death to save the Tribe of Rushing Water, and how Stormfur had joined them after staying some time in ThunderClan. "Silverstream had been coming to visit Graystripe in our territory when she started kitting. My mentor, Yellowfang, was out of camp, so I was the only one who could help Silverstream. I did my best, and the two kits were delivered safely, but Silverstream was bleeding too much. She died."

Blazeheart lowered his muzzle, feeling a brush of sadness for the long-dead queen, and for his mother. "I'm sorry." He couldn't imagine how his mother must have felt, being unable to save the first queen she'd help through her kitting. The thought of Silverstream's fatal kitting brought back memories of Tawnypelt's kitting. Not for the first time, he wondered how much of his mother really was Cinderpelt, and how much was just memories that she'd inherited from another cat. Was the loss of Silverstream as raw and painful for his mother as it had been for Cinderpelt?

After a moment, Cinderheart bumped Blazeheart's cheek with her nose. "Come on, there's no point in moping over things that are past," she mewed briskly. "Enjoy what you have now. Ambertalon got through her kitting just fine, and you have a beautiful, healthy daughter. You don't have to worry now. Just enjoy what you have now with your new family."

Blazeheart watched his mother a few moments longer, measuring his expression, before turning to look back at Ambertalon and Wrenkit. His mother was right. Whatever he had been afraid of, it was over now. Ambertalon was alive, Wrenkit was healthy, and he had a beautiful family and a new kit to raise. He would dedicate every day to his daughter, from here on in. And hopefully, one day, she would be able to see the forest, her true home, and he would be able to share what it was to truly be a ThunderClan cat with her.

Blazeheart closed his eyes, purring deeply. He had never felt so contented in his life.

* * *

 _Dear Theodosia, what to say to you?_  
 _You have my eyes. You have your mother's name_  
 _When you came into the world you cried_  
 _And it broke my heart_

Well. It's been just one day (barely a day since it's 2 AM) over two weeks since I started Code of the Forest, and I'm already halfway done with it. That's definitely a new record.

And what a chapter to have as the halfway point. :D Ambertalon and Blazeheart's litter is born, and they have one daughter, Wrenkit. :D I hope you all like her description. I posted a ref sheet for her on my DeviantArt page, under the same username. She'll be Blazeheart's size when full-grown, maybe a little smaller, with his lithe frame.

Also, she has pale green eyes, a paler version of Blazeheart's own eyes, which is part of why I posted the lyrics from Dear Theodosia above - and why I referenced it in the text. :P I seem to have a new habit of quoting Hamilton in EOTW. :P I regret nothing. But yeah, the lyrics at the top felt fitting of the mood of the chapter, as well as the "you have my eyes, you have your mother's (favorite prey's) name." ^^

I also liked being able to sneak that conversation about Cinderpaw helping Silverstream through her kitting in there. I like having the characters learn about and react to events that happened in the earlier series that they weren't there for. ^^

Next chapter will be in Silentstorm's POV.


	16. Chapter Fourteen

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 5: Code of the Forest  
Chapter Fourteen

Night was waiting for Silentstorm and the others by the stone blocks. As the warriors approached, the rogue sniffed curiously. "Where are Blazeheart and Darkbreeze?" she asked.

"Darkbreeze stayed behind to train Specklefoot and Eeltooth's apprentices," Silentstorm explained. She didn't mention the name of their apprentices – they hadn't told the rogues yet that the Clans had allied with the city cats. "And Blazeheart's mate had her litter yesterday. He stayed behind to spend the day with them."

A rusty purr escaped the rogue. "That's good. New kits are always a blessing." She grew somber for a moment. "Or they should be," she mewed in a tone tinged with sadness. Silentstorm felt a shiver run through her as she realized the rogue was thinking of Breeze. What could it possibly be like, to look at your own kit one day and realize that they were a monster, and that you had helped make them that way? Silentstorm felt a sudden, fierce rush of protecion for the kits growing in her belly. _StarClan, please let me raise them to be better than Breeze,_ she prayed silently. _I don't want to be like Night, or Crowfeather. They deserve better than that._

"Come on," Specklefoot mewed, brushing past Night. "Let's go talk with your allies." Night fell in beside Specklefoot, passing her enough to be in the lead, while Lightfoot, Eeltooth, and Silentstorm fell in behind them.

Night led them up the stone blocks, taking them to a narrow alley where her allies were waiting. Silentstorm could hear them moving around, looking up as the Clan cats arrived. "You haven't met Drizzle yet," she mewed to Silentstorm yet. A tom approached them, dipping his head in greeting. "Silentstorm, this is Drizzle. Drizzle, this is Silentstorm. She's the one I've told you about." Silentstorm's ear flicked uncomfortably. She had given Night permission to tell her allies about the prophecy in order to convince them to side with Silentstorm. It seemed that Breeze had already told some of his cats about it, and it might help convince cats to join their side if they knew there was a cat whose ancestors had decreed was destined to stop the darkness.

Drizzle gave a short flick of his tail in greeting. "Good to meet you," he mewed gruffly.

"You too."

The tom regarded her for a moment. "Well, I don't know whether I believe any of this fluff about a prophecy and starry ancestors, but you Clan cats fought well enough when we met in battle. If you're really willing to try and help us bring down Breeze, I'll be glad to fight with you."

Silentstorm gave a small dip of her head in acknowledgment. "Believe whatever you want," she mewed easily. "Prophecy or no, what I care about is stopping Breeze from hurting any more cats, and making him pay for what he's taken from us. If you want to help me beat him, then I'm glad to call you an ally."

Drizzle gave a small nod, then padded back to join the rest of his campmates. Over the last moon, Night had slowly begun recruiting her campmates to their cause, being careful at how quickly she pressed the idea of revolting and who she talked to. She had come to visit the Clan cats a few times, bringing more of her campates each time.

Lightning had come with Night the second time she arrived in the city, and had been one of the first cats to turn easily against Breeze. The young queen had been raised in Breeze's group, but had no fondness for him or his followers. Tigerlily and Tansy had joined fairly quickly as well, as had Sparrow. Strike had taken more time to convince, but eventually he too had seen that Breeze wasn't doing him any favors as a leader. Silentstorm didn't know if she trusted the gruff tom, especially since he had been involved on the attack on her and Shadowpaw on their first day of training. But he hadn't given her any solid reason to distrust him, so she let it slide.

As the cats all sat together in the shadow of a twoleg nest, Specklefoot mewed, "Alright, let's start by having Drizzle tell us why he joined Breeze in the first place, and why he wants to help us defeat Breeze now." It was the first thing they did whenever a new one of Night's campmates met with the Clan cats for the first time.

Drizzle's ear flicked in surprise, but didn't protest. He began, "I was a rogue living in the pine forest, not far from where ShadowClan lived. I strayed across the border sometimes while hunting, and I'd been chased away by ShadowClan patrols. I didn't really know much about Clans at the time, so I waved it off as just more aggressive rogues." His tail gave an odd, tense twitch. "But then Sol found me while I was hunting one day. He seemed polite enough, and we started to chat. He told me about the Clans that lived nearby, who selfishly hoarded vast territories for themselves and chased away honest rogues who just wanted to feed themselves. I hadn't really thought about it before, but the more he talked, the more it seemed to make sense. I would see him often after that. He would bring me prey, saying he'd caught it for me because we were friends and he was lonely."

Tigerlily gave a disdainful snort. "Like that useless old snake has ever hunted a day in his life. He probably just used whatever Breeze or the other followers caught to convince you."

"It's probably what he did with all of us," Drizzle said with a nod. "Lazy as he is, I've never known a cat who could talk like him. The more I listened to him, the more I came to hate the Clans, thinking they had wronged the cats of the lake and stolen territory that rightfully belonged to other cats. After a while, Sol took me to meet Breeze. It was in the earlier days of Breeze's leadership, he didn't have much more than Sol and the other exiled Clan cats following him. But Sol had been slowly attacting rogues like me, and some loners, and even some kittypets." He gave a small nod of acknowledgment to Tansy. The she-cat's pelt had once held the softness of a kittypet's, but it had since become marked with scars, and now clung to a too-thin frame.

The Clan cats listened, unsurprised. Most of Night's campmates had given them similar tales. "That's all well and good," Eeltooth cut him off impatiently. "But what made you change your mind?"

Drizzle gave a stiff lash of his tail, but otherwise didn't react to Eeltooth's interuption. "When we were attacking the Clans, it was alright," he mewed. "Rogues, kittypets, and loners were all working together with a common purpose, and it was easier to feel like we were avenging some sort of wrong together. But then Breeze started acting... weird. Like with planning the fire. The thought of leaving cats to burn to death rather than facing them in battle was bad enough, but the way he did it..." He trailed off for a moment. Silentstorm could hear a shiver run through his pelt. "It was like he knew exactly when and where the fire was going to happen."

"After all you Clan cats escaped, most of us were just happy to have the lake back to ourselves, but Breeze wouldn't let it go. He made it pretty clear that he wanted the Clans destroyed, no matter what the rest of us wanted. He kept sending out patrols to look for you, when we could have been hunting and supporting ourselves. When cats complained, he gathered the loyal cats and made them guards, and let them bully the rest of us." Drizzle's lip had curled in disgust. "I thought he cared about us, but he's cruel, and I never should have let him talk me into killing any cat for his sake. It was always about him, and his revenge, never about helping the rest of us. I want to stop him from controlling us and hurting cats to get what he wants."

The Clan cats exchanged glances, then Silentstorm dipped her head to Drizzle. "If that's the case, then we're glad to have you," she said.

Drizzle gave a brief nod. "When Night told me that some of the Clan cats were willing to work together to get rid of Breeze, I knew I wanted to be a part of it." He seemed a little bemused as he added, "Though I was surprised at some of the cats that she said were on her side." Though Silentstorm couldn't see him, she didn't need sight to guess which cats he was looking at.

Snow and Pine sat beside Sparrow, their pelts fluffed out in clear discomfort. Specklefoot still all but refused to talk to them, and Eeltooth treated them with clear suspicion. Silentstorm had her own doubts about Night's decision to trust the cats who had followed Shrew into exile. But Night had insisted that she trusted the two she-cats, and after hearing their reasons for turning back to the side of the Clans, Silentstorm decided to let them help. She knew it was a risk that they would tell Shrew or Breeze about where the Clans were and what they were planning, but she had already accepted that risk.

As Drizzle gave the former ShadowClan cats a pointed look, Pine answered the unspoken question. "I followed Shrew because what she said made sense, or at least I thought so," she mewed carefully. "Tigerstar really was a terrible leader, and I did think that it made sense only to trust cat with pure blood, because it meant fewer complications of loyalty. How could we ever trust a cat who had kin in two Clans, if they had to choose between which Clan to defend in battle?" Eeltooth gave a low growl, but the she-cat seemed to ignore him.

"I thought the warrior code called on that kind of purity from the Clans," Snow admitted. "Having kits with a cat from another Clan is against the warrior code – kits from such parents could only ever be in contrast with the warrior code. Tigerstar seemed to prove it. And Shrew was strong and smart, she seemed like a better leader." She flattened her ears back in clear shame. "We were more willing to follow her into exile than to live under the leadership of a halfClan leader. And then Breeze talked Shrew into having us all join him to defeat the Clans. At that point, I thought we were the ones who had been betrayed, that the warrior code had failed us. It made sense to punish the Clans for not even following their own code."

Pine lowered her muzzle, a low growl issuing from her throat. "But then Breeze allied us with those Dark Forest monsters. During the Dark Battle, those savages murdered my kit, they tore him apart like a piece of prey." She was trembling lightly with rage, even all of these moons later. Snow pressed against the side of her old Clanmate, and Pine calmed a little. "The moment I realized that Breeze wanted us to fight beside those cats, I knew that I had made a terrible mistake. Any cat who would ally themselves with those creatures is just as bad as them."

Snow gave a slow nod, mewing, "I hated the idea of impure cats, especially after Tigerstar proved how terrible a leader he would be. But after being exiled and joining Breeze, I met more cats who had never lived a day in a Clan. Rogues, loners, and kittypets, even cats of mixed blood." Sparrow gave a small nod at this. From what he'd told the Clan cats, his kittypet mother had taken a rogue tom as a mate. He'd spent a good part of his kithood being raised as a kittypet before leaving to become a rogue. "I started to realize that they were all just... cats. And then when Breeze wanted to burn all of the Clan cats alive.. I couldn't believe any cat could be that cruel. I realized how wrong I'd been." She glanced at the Clan cats, her tail-tip twitching anxiously. "I just wanted to stop Breeze and Shrew, and let every cat live in peace again."

Drizzle still seemed curious, his head tipping to one side. "I never really understood about Clans, I guess," he mewed. "Breeze and Sol told us about how they hoarded territory and prey, and how they didn't respect their own laws, but they never told us about what the Clans are like or what they do. It seems sensible, living in big groups like that, but why keep all that territory to yourself?"

Silentstorm wasn't surprised at the question. She had heard it from most of the cats Night had brought with her, so they had plenty of practice by now at answering it. Silentstorm quickly organized the others, asking Lightfoot to explain the warrior code and the Clans to Drizzle as Eeltooth and Specklefoot began working on battle moves with the other cats. Strike hadn't been to as many meetings yet, so he hung back and watched for the first few bouts, while Tansy, Tigerlily, and Sparrow jumped right into it. Snow and Pine already had warrior training, so they helped the Clan cats teach warrior moves, while the rogues also taught the Clan cats their own battle moves. Lighting had given birth to her kits a moon ago, so she wasn't as careful as Silentstorm had to be, but she was still slower than the others from the milk she carried.

As the other cats kept busy, Silentstorm sat beside Night, her tail tucked around her paws. "You're sure that Breeze doesn't suspect anything with you bringing your campmates here?" she murmured to the older she-cat. Silentstorm was too close to giving birth to participate in training sessions anymore, so she preferred to supervise and give instruction from the sideline. Night usually joined the training, but sometimes she talked strategy with Silentstorm on the sides. "This is twice in two days you've been here; you're going back and forth pretty often."

Night gave a minute shake of her head. "I asked to take over search patrols near the edges of ShadowClan territory. I managed to steer him away from looking in the city – otherwise, he would send Scorch. She used to live in a city, apparently. We've been staying in ShadowClan territory for the last few days, on an extra-long search. We'll be back in a few days, and Breeze won't suspect a thing."

Silentstorm felt a stir of unease at the mention of the she-cat who had killed Ashstar. "Do you think we could turn Scorch to our side?" She very much doubted that the ruthless she-cat would want to help the Clans, especially after she had killed Ashstar, but she figured she should asked. Scorch had seemed like a powerful fighter, she would be a valuable ally if she could be trusted.

Unsurprisingly, Night shook her head. "She's one of the most loyal cats to Breeze in camp," she told Silentstorm. "And she's pretty reserved. I don't see much of her in camp these days, and if she is she's hanging around Breeze. There's no way we'd turn her against him."

Silentstorm shrugged. "It was worth asking," she murmured. "Well, we already have seven cats. That's a fair amount for a moon's work."

"There's a few more I think I can still convince," Night mewed back. "I'm just taking it slow. If they're still loyal to Breeze, I don't want to say anything that will get back to Breeze."

Silentstorm flicked an ear in acknowledgment. She knew the risk Night was taking, that all of them were taking, to make the arrangement work. She could only hope it would be worth it in the end.

Night glanced at Silentstorm, tail flicking curiously. "Are you sure you're not going to raise any suspicions, sneaking around the way you are?" she asked. "You look like you're less than half a moon from having your kits. Queens that pregnant don't usually get away with sneaking out of camp this much."

The queen shrugged. "The Clan knows I'm restless," she mewed. "And I usually tell them that I'm supervising my apprentice's training, or training sessions with other warriors and apprentices."

"Still, it's a risk." Night was quiet for a moment, her silence hard to read. "I do appreciate it, what you're risking to make it work with us."

Silentstorm turned towards Night, her ears flicked towards the she-cat. While she believed that Night truly was ready to betray Breeze for them, she was still very wary. All of this could go terribly wrong for the Clans if just one of these cats talked to Breeze. They were risking everything on the chance that these cats would fight for them when the time came.

"Just make sure it's worth it," she mewed quietly back. "That when the day comes, we'll know we didn't trust you in vain."

Night said nothing, just nodding slowly. They fell into silence, turning and watching the session as it progressed. Tigerlily was teaching Clan cats a move she'd learned from another rogue, Tansy helping her demonstrate, while Sparrow and Strike practiced some ShadowClan fighting moves together. Lightfoot was still explaining Clan life to Drizzle, who was listening with clear curiosity.

When Lightfoot reached the last law of the warrior code, Drizzle wrinkled his nose. "You have it in your code to scorn kittypets?" he asked, disdain clear in his tone. Tansy had looked up from her practice fighting, giving a sharp flick of her tail.

Lightfoot shrugged, seeming embarrassed. "Clan cats are proud of being free," he said in an apologetic mew. "But a lot of cats definitely look down on kittypets,and on other non Clanborn cats." Silentstorm recalled how the Clans seemed resistant against the idea of letting kittypets and city cats help them beat Breeze, and how even now some of them sneered at the idea of these cats fighting a warrior's battle.

"That's why Shrew and her cats tried to take over ShadowClan," Specklefoot mewed, with a lash of her tail as she glanced at Snow and Pine. "They thought a halfClan cat wasn't fit to be a leader."

Drizzle glanced back at the Clan cats in surprise. "And you're all proud of living this way?" he mewed, sounding dubious. "Fighting all of the time, among yourselves and with other cats, and looking down on anyone who wants to live differently?"

Eeltooth fluffed out his pelt indignantly. "The Clans live honorably," he mewed stiffly. "Some cats are frogbrains, but the warrior code is worth defending."

Drizzle still seemed unconvinced. And for the briefest moment, Silentstorm herself began to wonder. She would fight to the death for anyone of her Clanmates without question. But these last three moons, she had met so many cats who had different ways to live than in a Clan, perfectly legitimate ways of living. It had taught her more about life outside of four little Clans than she had ever imagined, and it had shown her that there were so many ways a cat could live. For once, she had to wonder whether the values the Clans built themselves on were as admirable as she liked to believe.

The Clans had learned to adapt to life in the city. But the warrior code didn't belong there. While she had scoffed at parts of the code before that tried to divide the Clans, for the first time, Silentstorm had to wonder whether the code didn't have serious faults beyond that. Why would kittypets want to fight to defend a code that scorned the way they lived? Why would rogues and loners want to fight to defend cats who said they couldn't be trusted because loners were shifty, rogues were deceitful, cats outside of the Clan couldn't be trusted?

Was the warrior code really worth defending?

* * *

I'm sorta "eh" about this chapter, but then again I sorta feel "eh" in general right now, so that could be it.

So we get to see some of the cats that Night has convinced to her side, including a few of Shrew's old followers.

And in other news, Thunder and Shadow came out today. :D Don't worry, I won't spoil anything, except for one little minor thing, just the warrior name of a minor character. One of the characters ends up being called Yarrowleaf - just like my Yarrowleaf! :D I found that pretty cool. ^^ Not to mention a few certain other spoilers, which I won't give away here, but that definitely reminded me of elements of my own story. ^^

Next chapter will be in Blazeheart's POV


	17. Chapter Fifteen

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 5: Code of the Forest  
Chapter Fifteen

"Again!" Blazeheart called.

Scurry crouched low, baring her fangs. She faced off against Oak, who waited with narrowed eyes, assessing his opponent. After a few moments, Scurry rushed at the larger tom. As Oak lunged at her, she slipped easily to one side, raking her paw down his sides. With surprising quickness, he whirled on her, bringing his paw slicing down across her head. She just barely dodged in time, twisting away, then coming back to snap at his front legs with her jaws. As she did, he grabbed her scruff in his jaws, pulling back hard. Scurry twisted neatly in his grasp, forcing both cats onto their hind paws, until Oak was able to push the smaller she-cat to the ground. She pummeled hard against his belly with her hind legs, but he was finally able to pin her hindquarters, closing his jaws around her throat. She fell limp.

"That's enough." Oak released his grip immediately, backing away from the she-cat. For a moment, Blazeheart almost thought that he had really hurt her. But the scrawny she-cat pushed herself easily back onto her paws, shaking out her pelt. His jaws had only put enough pressure on her throat to let her know he'd won, not to actually hurt her or break through flesh.

Scurry was normally a reserved sort of she-cat, but right now her eyes were shining, her pelt fluffed out. "That was a great move when you grabbed my scruff," she mewed to Oak. Though the loner didn't always seem comfortable around other cats, she seemed to have gotten better lately, especially during battle training.

"And nice timing on the dodge," Oak mewed in return. The large tom sat, smoothing down the ruffled fur on his shoulder.

While the city cats were speaking, Blazeheart had been sitting by the wall of a nearby twoleg nest, watching the exchange. Once it was clear the bout was over, he approached the two cats, mewing, "Nice work. Next time, Scurry, hit harder with your paws when you're on your back. You did well of twisting away when Oak had your scruff in his jaws, but he was able to use his greater strength to force you to the ground. Remember to use your strengths to your advantage – you're lighter than him, you're not going to win in a show of brute strength like trying to wrestle him to the ground, so use your speed and agility to weaken him first."

Scurry nodded slowly, looking thoughtful. "I'll try something else next time," she decided.

As the two cats got ready to face off again, Blazeheart left them behind, deciding to check on the other rogues instead. The rogues and loners who already knew how to fight hadn't been assigned individual mentors since they already knew what they were doing. Instead, they took part in general practice sessions every day, one warrior giving pointers and showing certain Clan fighting moves. Blazeheart had been chosen to supervise for the day, so he had come out with the city cats to one of the various alleys to watch them practice. They had learned pretty much everything they could by now, so at this point their sessions were more about keeping their skills sharp and giving each other little tips. Blazeheart didn't have to do much more than give an occasional pointer.

He wandered over to where Rizzo and Tenshu were practicing partner fighting against Ruckus and Scram. Ruckus and Scram were attacking on both sides, while Rizzo and Tenshu were on the defensive, guarding each other's back while the rouges attacked. Scram and Ruckus worked off of each other with ease, as in tune with each other's movements as though they'd been trained that way. Ruckus was the larger of the two, and attacked with greater strength and ruthlessness, while Scram worked more at throwing the enemy off balance and using her cleverness to weaken them in time for Ruckus's attack.

But Rizzo and Tenshu didn't back down, giving back as good as they got, weaving and whirling as they guarded each other against attack. Tenshu was stronger than Rizzo, who was by far the thinnest and lightest of the city cats. But the scrawny kittypet fought with surprising ferocity, twisting and slashing, her paws striking swiftly as she danced away from the harsher strikes of her opponent. Ruckus tried to move in on Tenshu, but Rizzo beat him away, ducking from a heavy swipe from his paw and grabbing his other front paw quickly between her teeth, jerking it back.

Ruckus was thrown off balance enough for Rizzo land several quick blows to his head with her front paws, but recovered quickly, bringing his front paws smashing down on her back, which the she-cat narrowly avoided. Tenshu turned to defend Rizzo, only for Scram to draw her attention back by grabbing her tail between her teeth and yanking back. Tenshu hardly lost a beat, whirling on the other she-cat and striking her hard across the head with one paw, dislodging Scram's grip on her tail.

"Enough," Blazeheart called. The four cats halted their battle immediately, looking at the warrior. "Nice teamwork, all of you." He glanced at Scram and Ruckus, mewing, "Especially you two." He couldn't help but be impressed. The rogues fought like they had been Clanmates all their lives.

Ruckus brought his head up, looking pleased, while Scram just shrugged. "My mother was a sickly loner, and my father had left," she explained. "When my mother died, I was alone until I found Ruckus."

"My mother had abandoned me and my littermates when we were young," Ruckus explained. "My littermates all starved, but I managed to survive."

"We didn't trust each other at first," Scram continued, "But after a while, we figured out it was easier to survive together. And we've been together ever since."

Rizzo glanced back at the two rogues. "Life can be hard in the city," she told Blazeheart. "Rogues and loners compete for prey, and house folk, monsters, and dogs make finding prey and staying safe a challenge. Scram and Ruckus are lucky to have each other's support."

Blazeheart's belly clenched in horror. "Your mother just... abandoned you?" he mewed to Ruckus in stunned disbelief. He had always had a soft spot for kits, but the birth of Wrenkit had taught him the fierce feelings of love and protection that being a parent brought. He could never imagine a true parent just leaving their kit to fend for themselves. He felt a sudden urge to return to Ambertalon and Wrenkit, and to cuddle with his daughter and let her know he would never, ever leave her.

Ruckus shrugged. "I don't think she ever really wanted kits," he told the warrior. "She was pretty cranky, and only kept us around until we were weaned. After that, she said we weren't her problem anymore. I don't really remember her very well, or my littermates." There was a wistful light to his ice-blue eyes, but after a moment, he gave a dismissive flick of his tail. "Either way, Scram and I have hunted and fought together since we were kits. It's hard to trust cats out here, when there's so much competition over prey, but I know that Scram always has my back."

The warrior listened curiously. "That's what it's like living in a Clan," he mewed slowly. "As hard as things get, I always know that my Clanmates are there to support me."

Scram's amber gaze gleamed with interest. "That doesn't sound like a bad way to live," she mewed thoughtfully.

Tenshu shook out her pelt, her amber gaze filled with impatience. "I think you've got bees in your brain," she snorted, more bemused than unkind. "I like it on my own. I definitely wouldn't want to be trapped in some camp with a bunch of other cats all the time, having to follow rules and obey orders. I like doing what I want when I want it." Her eyes sparked with mischief. "And I certainly don't think I'd be able to go too long without swiping other cat's meals or traipsing over Clan borders. Life's boring without a little trouble here and there."

Blazeheart couldn't help but feel a brush of disappointment. He had hoped that the city cats, after spending more time with the Clans, would come to see the benefits of Clan life, and the wisdom of the warrior code. "Then why are you helping us defeat Breeze, if you don't like how the Clans live?" he asked.

The tortoiseshell glanced at him in surprise, as did Rizzo. It took a lot of Blazeheart's willpower not to shrink away from Rizzo's icy glare. "Why would she have to want to be a Clan cat in order to want to help you?" Rizzo asked in a cool tone. "Can't cats just help cats?"

Tenshu agreed, "Just because I wouldn't want to live in a Clan doesn't mean I can't help cats who need it." She gave a quick shake of her tortoiseshell pelt, unsheathing her claws and scraping them lightly against the gray stone. "You cats were clearly wronged by this Breeze, and I don't have to live like you or follow your code to help you make it right."

"Just because we don't follow the warrior code doesn't mean we live without honor." Blazeheart nearly jumped when Oak spoke behind him. The conversation had apparently drawn Oak and Scurry's attention, and they had abandoned their practice fighting to come join the others. "Rogues, loners, kittypets, we can all be compassionate and brave, and want to help other cats live in peace. Courage and loyalty aren't exclusive to Clan cats." There was reproach in the large tom's tone, but also sympathy as he regarded Blazeheart.

The warrior was beginning to feel uncomfortable. He had spoken rashly when he'd asked Tenshu why she wanted to help them. Blazeheart had come to respect the city cats and how they lived a lot more since they'd started training to help the Clans. But he'd always felt a sense of the warrior code being the center of honor and courage, that no cat outside of the Clans could quite appreciate. But he could see judgment in the eyes of the loners, rogues, and kittypet that regarded him now. They didn't see him as some guardian of morality. He was just another cat, on the same level as them, who had spoken rudely. He suddenly felt foolish.

Blazeheart quickly cleared his throat, trying to hide how embarrassed he felt. "Well, we can always learn from cats different from us," he meowed aloud. "So for this next round of partner fighting, I want you to switch it up. You never know who you're going to have to fight beside or what their skills and weaknesses will be, so it's good to know how to partner with several kinds of cats." He thought for a few moments before deciding, "Rizzo, you're teaming up with Oak. Scurry, you're with Ruckus, and that leaves Tenshu and Scram."

Each cat dipped their heads in acknowledgment. For a moment, Blazeheart thought he saw a spark of approval in Rizzo's green eyes. Then, it was gone, and she had turned to the other city cats. "Alright," she mewed briskly. "Let's get started."

 **SCENEBREAK**

They trained until the sun began to set, then the group began to make their way back to the stone barn. Rizzo said she had to get back to her house folk soon, but she agreed to stay long enough to share tongues with a few cats, and the rogues and loners decided to go hunting and bring back prey to share with the Clan cats. They left to hunt as Rizzo and Blazeheart made their way to the stone barn.

When they arrived, Rizzo set off for the warrior's den to find cats to talk to. Cosmo and Darkbreeze were sitting near the fresh-kill pile together, sharing a pigeon, with Chipmunk, Whisp, and Hoover hanging around nearby. Blazeheart made a quick stop at the fresh-kill pile, grabbing a mouse before going straight for the nursery. Joy sparked through his pelt as he stepped through the bracken entrance, his gaze falling upon Ambertalon's nest.

The tiny gray she-cat was lying in her nest, stretched out so that Wrenkit could nurse. She looked up as Blazeheart entered the den, her amber gaze filling with warmth. "Blazeheart," she purred as the tom reached her, bumping her muzzle against his chin in greeting. He dropped the mouse in front of her, purring. "How was the group training?" The she-cat seemed more active now that she wasn't carrying kits anymore.

Blazeheart purred as he rubbed his muzzle against her cheek. "Good. These cats already know how to fight – I just had to give pointers and exercises to keep them sharp." He crouched beside Ambertalon's belly, his gaze resting on Wrenkit. It had only been three days since she was born. The tiny kitten still hadn't opened her ears or unfolded her ears. All she could do was mewl and wail as she shuffled around blindly, trying to find milk and the warmth of her mother's pelt. Blazeheart leaned his muzzle down and rasped his tongue over her back, purring loudly. The days since she had been born had been the happiest of his life.

From her nest, Silentstorm called, "They aren't the ones whose training we have to worry about. They already know what they're doing."

Blazeheart glanced back at his sister. Her belly grew bigger with the kits she carried every day, but she never seemed to slow down or stop keeping up with the training and planning going on for the battle. But unlike the medicine cats or her denmates who kept admonishing her to relax, he knew exactly why she couldn't slow down. "How is Chipmunk and Cosmo's training going?" he asked her. He knew that she often liked to sit in on training sessions with Specklefoot and Eeltooth's apprentices, when she wasn't busy supervising Shadowpaw's training or meeting up with Night.

"Well enough," she answered. "Chipmunk's kind of small and scrawny, but he's learned how to be quick and precise rather than just relying on strength. Cosmo's clumsier, but he's gotten pretty strong the last few moons, and he's certainly eager to learn."

"That's good," Blazeheart mewed. As Ambertalon began to dig into the mouse, he curled up beside her, watching their daughter lovingly as she nursed.

They lay like that for a while, sharing tongues and talking, and cooing over Wrenkit. Silentstorm began grooming herself in her own nest. Lightfoot came in after a while, and the two mates sat together, discussing Shadowpaw's training. Leafdrift was in her own nest sharing a starling with Pondbreeze, while other queens were looking after kits and talking with their mates. Blazeheart spotted Floss telling a story to Flintkit and Shardkit from her nest, Antkit and Beetlekit playing with Gingerkit and Saffronkit, while Leafdrift nursed Minktail's kits so the ShadowClan queen could rest. All around him, cats from the four Clans were playing and talking together like Clanmates. And somehow, now, he didn't mind. He knew any of these cats would be as quick to defend Wrenkit as he would be. The safety of his daughter mattered more than the petty differences between Clans.

Suddenly, a panicked wailing distracted Blazeheart. He was quick to get to his paws, padding over to the nursery entrance and poking his head outside to see what was happening. Ripplewing, Steamfrost, and Honeyheart had just leaped down from the broken window, pelts fluffed out with fear and eyes wide. They were panting, gasping in air and shaking.

Cats began to crowd around the returned warriors, worry and concern in their tones. "What happened?" Sunstrike asked, coming to sniff Honeyheart with clear concern in her gaze. "You look like you just saw Tigerstar!"

Steamfrost was the first cat to get his breath back. "Dogs... dogs found us hunting... they chased us..." He had hardly stopped speaking when the sound of barking came from outside the stone barn. Blazeheart had never heard the bark of a dog before – the sound was deep and throaty, fierce with rage as the dogs cried out after their hidden prey.

Blazeheart's heart clenched with fear. The dogs sounded big, from their deep cries and the slapping of their paws against the stone outside. He could only pray that the tales of the elders were true, and that they were too clumsy to reach the window.

Apparently, some of his Clanmates were confident in this assumption. Skystripe leaped onto the broken window, pelt fluffed out as he yowled taunts at the dogs below. "Ugly brutes!" he taunted, his back arched and eyes gleaming with disdain. "You should have left my brother alone!"

"Mousebrain!" Squirrelflight hissed from her spot in the crowd. She approached the window, growling at the young warrior, "Get down from there!"

Skystripe turned back to glare at the deputy, apparently about to argue. But he didn't get the chance. A huge, blocky head with small gleaming eyes appeared in the window. Skystripe leaped back with a startled squeak, barely jumping down in time to avoid the snap of the slavering jaws. Two massive paws appeared on the window as well. To Blazeheart's horror, the dog began to pull itself up, wriggling its shoulders through the window as it jumped down onto the floor of the stone barn.

The crowd was thrown into chaos, cats fleeing in all directions as the dog began snapping at the nearest cats. Blazeheart had never seen a creature like it before. It was larger than any cat, with a strong, blocky appearance, legs thick with muscle, the ears flopped over, and the tail long and thick. It was covered in black-and-brown hairs, scars marking its pelt all over, its short pelt pulled over a gaunt frame. This was clearly no twoleg pet, but a rogue dog, wild and vicious. Its brown eyes gleamed with cruel glee as it regarded the sheer mass of cats. Blazeheart felt sick to his stomach as he realized it was like a cat who had stumbled into a nest of mice. _We're its prey._

His horror mounted as two other dogs wriggled through the window, joining the brindle dog. One was a leaner tom-dog with a bright golden pelt and thick fur, and the other was a thickset she-dog with a black-and-white pelt and cruel eyes. They fell upon the mass of cats, biting and snarling.

"Apprentices and warriors, help the queens and elders get out!" Frozen in terror, Blazeheart saw Bramblestar rushing towards one of the beasts, dashing in to swipe at the brindle dog's legs before darting away. "Use the far window by the apprentice's den!" The other leaders had joined in the attack on the dog, as had some of the senior warriors.

Another voice rose from the crowd. "Get to the roof!" Rizzo had joined the leaders in the attack, several of the city cats rushing in with her. "Dogs can't climb like we can! If you can use the clutter and pipes outside the walls to climb up to the roof, they won't be able to reach you, and they'll give up the hunt!" She slashed one dog across the legs, darting out of reach as another city cat rushed in.

Blazeheart felt a sudden burst of terror. _Wrenkit!_ If the dogs managed to break into the nursery, his tiny daughter would stand no chance. Without a second thought, he turned and raced back into the nursery, his heart racing with fear.

Ambertalon was already on her paws, crouching protectively over Wrenkit. "Are those dogs I hear?" she asked tersely, a growl in her throat as she shielded her daughter with her body. All around the nursery, other queens were gathering together the kits. The older kits helped shepherd the younger kits together, Silentstorm had scooped up Saffronkit in her jaws, and Floss had picked up Duskkit in her jaws.

"It is," Blazeheart told Ambertalon grimly. Without a word, they took up their positions, Ambertalon backing up so Blazeheart could grab Wrenkit in his jaws. Ambertalon watched the nursery entrance with a narrowed gaze, her claws scraping at the dusty floor of the den and her back arched as she readied herself to defend her mate and kit. Blazeheart was careful to be gentle as he took up the three-day-old kit in his jaws. Wrenkit squealed and mewled as she was lifted into the air. The howling and snarling of the dogs was unbearably loud; Blazeheart realized with a rush of horror that they were nearing the entrance to the nursery.

Without warning, a white snout pushed through the den's entrance, the dog baring her teeth and glaring at the cats within with gleaming eyes. Before she could do much more than snarl, Ambertalon flew at her, attacking her muzzle with vicious swipes of her claws. Larksong also rushed forward with a snarl, joining the smaller ThunderClan queen in her attack. The dog threw her head back with a sharp yelp as they tore at her chest and legs, snapping with her terrible jaws at the cats over and over, but always unable to reach them as they danced out of range. After a while, she backed away, rejoining the other dogs in their attack.

Larksong gave a quick shake of her pelt, glancing back at the other queens. "We have to get the kits out of here, quickly," she growled.

Ambertalon nodded. "Let's go!" The queens began hurrying to the entrance, the queens with older kits going first to keep guard against the dogs, while those carrying younger kits hurried after them. Blazeheart felt his heart thundering in his chest as he held Wrenkit in his jaws. _I won't let anything happen to you,_ he promised his daughter silently, even as terror threatened to overwhelm him. Wrenkit was so helpless and fragile – it would be all too easy for a dog, or rogue, or hawk to break that delicate spine. _I don't know what I would do if I lost you._

He fell in beside Dawnpelt and Silvershine, who each carried one of their own kits. Dewkit was sticking close to Silvershine's side, while Stormkit, Duskkit, and Graykit were nearby, helping Pikekit move along quickly. They all exited the den together, looking up warily at the actions of the dogs.

Two of the dogs were still out fighting the leaders and warriors, but the golden dog had broken way from the others and had pushed its front end into the elders den, the tail wagging behind it in cruel delight as shrieks rose from the elder's den. Warriors tried to rush to attack it, but the black-and-white she-dog cut them off, grabbing Swanfall in her jaws and shaking her, throwing her across the den. She landed with a thud and didn't stir again.

A shriek of agony rose from the elder's den, raising every hair on Blazeheart's pelt. Even as he moved towards the apprentice's den with the others, he watched the dog, wondering fearfully who had given the terrible shriek.

Suddenly, the dog scrambled backwards out of the elder's den. Loud whines and yelps emerged from the beast. To Blazeheart's surprise, Brightheart was facing down the dog, her remaining blue eye blazing with horrible fury. She whirled and slashed, with the speed and strength of a warrior in her prime, driving the dog back from the elder's den. " _Leave them alone!_ " she shrieked, delivering a vicious slice across the dog's nose, making it howl.

A moment later, Millie slipped out of the elder's den. Blazeheart felt a rush of fear for the frail elder, but oddly Millie seemed unafraid. She opened her jaws, and instead of a cat's meow, an odd growling sound escaped her, almost like the barking of a dog. The golden dog paused in its attack for a moment, regarding the elder in surprise, before answering back in a similar growling tone. Millie recoiled, looking alarmed, as the golden dog advanced on her with snapping jaws. Shadowpaw, Sunnypaw, and Redpaw rushed out of the crowd, blocked the dog from attacking the elders. They worked together, swiping and ducking and weaving, as they drove the dog back.

Blazeheart was directed towards the apprentice's den, where another broken window allowed an escape. Some queens and elders had already left the stone barn that way, as had the apprentices and warriors who accompanied them. The stone barn was slowly emptying, with the leaders and senior warriors keeping the dogs occupied so the others could escape. But as Bramblestar rushed in to slash at one of the dogs again, Cosmo cut him off, growling, "We've got this!" The leader hesitated, then pulled back, allowing the city cats to take over the attack on the dog. Blazeheart was impressed with how quickly they darted in and out in their attack, how some of them managed to leap up and cling to their backs with sharp, hooked claws. Chipmunk fought beside Oak, Cosmo darting in and out with precision, Rizzo leading the attack with eyes blazing.

"Every cat, get out now!" Mistystar yowled. Blazeheart finally reached the window, Wrenkit squealing in his jaws as he leaped up onto the flat surface, then down onto the ground below. He didn't see the other cats at first, until he noticed a bunch of twoleg debris and clutter pressed against the side of one wall, and the cats watching him from the roof. Ambertalon leaped out from the window a moment after him, growling, "Come on. We have to get up there!"

Blazeheart gave a stiff nod of agreement, tightening his grip on Wrenkit and making her squeal. Together, the mates began clambering up the precarious pile of twoleg debris together. Ambertalon reached the top first, giving a might leap to reach the roof. Once she was safely on the room, she reached down and grasped Blazeheart's scruff, giving a might pull to help the tom to the top. Blazeheart finally managed to reach the roof, panting from the effort.

He scrambled quickly out of the way, joining the rest of the Clan cats on the roof. Only a few cats came up after him, the leaders leaping up last of all. Bramblestar had to help haul Mistystar up onto the roof, but after that, every cat was safely on the roof.

Except for the city cats.

Blazeheart set Wrenkit down for a moment, letting Ambertalon look after her as he approached the edge of the roof. For a few moments, he saw nothing, and all he could hear was the terrible snarling of the dogs. Terror clutched at his heart. _Did they sacrifice themselves for us?_

Then, a few moments later, he saw Scurry and Hoover leaping out of the broken window, Cosmo, Chipmunk, and Oak following quickly after. To Blazeheart's shock, they stopped once they were outside, turning and glancing at the window, as if waiting for something.

Moments later, the dogs, one by one, leaped out of the window. The city cats darted away, fleeing in different directions as the dogs chased them, snapping and snarling. Rizzo and the rest of the city cats ran after them, chasing the dogs away as the dogs chased the city cats. Eventually, they disappeared from view as they fled into the twisting and winding alleys. The baying of the dogs began to fade, until Blazeheart couldn't hear them at all. The warrior felt a rush of relief. _They're okay,_ he realized. _They're leading the dogs away._

 _We're safe._

* * *

Wow. This is a long one. Sorry about that. There was actually supposed to be more that happened this chapter, but I decided to save it for next chapter because of how freaking long this was getting. Next chapter is likely to be a long one as well, but after that it should get back to around 3000 words. Hopefully.

Anyway, I wanted to show more of the rogues' personalities, and how their training was getting along. And then dogs attack the camp. :P I hope the action seemed exciting and kept the chapter from feeling too long. We'll have to wait until next chapter to see who is injured and how badly. ^^

Next chapter will be in Silentstorm's POV.


	18. Chapter Sixteen

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 5: Code of the Forest  
Chapter Sixteen

It was quite some time before the cats descended from the roof, slipping back into the stone barn below. Silentstorm's whole body seemed to ache with the effort of fleeing from the dogs and climbing up onto the roof. She sagged gratefully back onto the floor of the stone barn, exhaustion coming over her as cats began to check the dens for damage.

"They tore the walls of the elder's den pretty good," Minnowtail called as she inspected the den in question. "But the structure is sound. We should be able to weave more branches in easily."

Sunstrike was sniffing the nursery walls. "There's a bit of tearing here, but nothing too bad," she reported.

The leaders were checking for every cat, while the medicine cats weaved through the crowd, looking for injured cats. Silentstorm could hear Willowshine nearby, sniffing over Swanfall's pelt. The she-cat had been thrown by one of the dogs, and had been badly bruised, but luckily nothing had been broken.

Silvershine and Slushfoot were hovering around the she-cat, pelts fluffed out with concern, until Swanfall batted Slushfoot's muzzle away with one paw. "Leave me alone, will you?" she grunted, wincing as she lifted her paw. "I'm not some helpless kit."

"You're _my_ kit," Silvershine said firmly, ignoring Swanfall's protests as she continued checking the warrior over. "And you could have died!"

Silentstorm was distracted from their conversation by the rise of concern mews nearby. She turned away from the RiverClan cats, padding over and listening as the concerned calls rose in pitch. The queen froze at the sound of Leafpool's grim mew. "I can't help him."

"You have to try!" Brightheart snarled. Silentstorm's hackles rose eerily at the desperate fury in her tone. "You can't let him die!"

Silentstorm pushed through the crowd, getting to the front so she could figure out what was going on. Her pelt quivered in horror as she picked up the tangy stench of blood. Cloudtail was lying on the ground, giving rasping, ragged breaths as Brightheart crouched beside him. Silentstorm heard a gasp from Ambertalon, and the she-cat left her mate's side to come stand over her father, Snowfall quickly joining her.

Finchwing was already working on the elderly tom, chewing up herbs into poultices and dressing Cloudtail's wounds. "Come on Cloudtail," Silentstorm heard the tom murmur. She was surprised at the way his voice cracked, before remembering the bond Finchwing had formed with the elderly couple after Petalkit died. "Stay with me. I can help you."

"Finchwing," Leafpool mewed softly. "There's nothing we can do for him. He's lost too much blood."

Finchwing barely glanced at his mentor. "We have to try!" he growled, ignoring Leafpool as he continued to dress Cloudtail's wounds. The elder's ragged breathing had grown softer now, the elder now unconcious. Silentstorm felt a chill run through her pelt as Cloudtail began to fade, growing softer and softer with each rattling breath.

Brightheart gave a choked cry. "He was defending me from the dog," she whispered, tone heavy with horror. "I... I was frozen. I couldn't move. Maybe if I'd fought sooner..."

"It's not your fault," Snowfall murmured, pressing against his mother's pelt. "What those dogs did to you before was horrible. Any cat would be terrified of dogs after that. And Cloudtail would have always fought for you."

The elder took a few moments to compose herself, before crouching beside Cloudtail. She pressed her muzzle against his cheek as his breath grew more and more shallow. The tom wasn't moving anymore, only the shallow rise and fall of his sides to indicate that he was still alive. "It's okay, my love," she murmured, her voice cracking with grief. "I'm here. If you're hurting, you can go. I won't be long behind you, and we'll be together in StarClan. It's okay." She rasped her tongue over his cheek, giving a low, comforting purr, even as her pelt trembled with grief. Ambertalon and Snowfall crouched beside her, pressing their noses to Cloudtail's pelt.

Cloudtail took a few more breaths, a soft rattle in his throat, before he gave a final quiet gasp of air. His sides stilled, and he fell silent. The elder was dead.

Finchwing took a step back, tail quivering. "Cloudtail?" he asked in a trembling mew.

Brightheart gave a wail of grief, no longer holding back for her mate's sake. She pressed her muzzle into the thick pelt of her mate, wailing her grief as her pelt shook, her kits pressing against either side of her. The rest of the cats watched in stunned horror. Cloudtail had been one of the oldest cats in the Clans, the nephew of the great Firestar. Every cat was shocked to see him dead. The ThunderClan cats were especially horrified; Silentstorm could feel horror creeping through her own pelt, her heart full of raw grief. She had known Cloudtail since she was a kit, he had always told the funniest stories, had always been ready for a game or joke, and had a loving mate and father. She couldn't believe he was gone.

Nearby, she heard Sorreltail murmur in a tone of sorrow, "We won't even be able to bury him in the forest."

Silentstorm ducked her head, grief threatening to overwhelm her. They had lost another Clanmate tonight. For a moment, grief for Jayfeather stirred in her heart. _Oh Jayfeather, where are you?_ she wailed internally. She hadn't heard from StarClan since the Clans had come to the city. If she could only know for sure that Cloudtail would be going safely to walk with their ancestors, perhaps the grief wouldn't hurt so much.

 **SCENEBREAK**

After the initial shock of Cloudtail's death wore off, Silentstorm learned that Pouncetail too had died. Silvershine asked her to look after her kits for a while, as Pouncetail had been her father and she wanted to grieve him. As Cloudtail and Pouncetail's friends and family began to sit vigil for him, the Clan cats began the repairs for the dens. Silentstorm returned to the nursery, gathering Silvershine's kits and fosters kits back near her own nest.

"When is our mother coming back?" Graykit asked, gazing curiously at the ThunderClan queen. She and Pikekit were sitting next to Silentstorm, while Dewkit, Duskkit, the other Graykit, and Stormkit were lying nearby, watching their adopted littermates with clear sympathy. Blossomfall's kits had grown greatly in the last few moons, their pelts no longer full of kitten-softness, and their limbs and bodies beginning to grow beyond the stubby, chubby form of kits.

"She and Leafdrift will probably want to sit the whole vigil tonight," Silentstorm told the kits. "You can stay with me tonight, though.

Pikekit reached out one paw and poked Silentstorm's belly. "You're really big," he mewed bluntly. "How long until your kits are born?"

Before Silentstorm could answer, Dewkit approached the younger tom, smacking him lightly over the head with one paw. "Don't be rude!" she chided the young tom. "You can't just ask queens why they're so big, and when their kits are coming." Silentstorm blinked in surprise. Blossomfall's kits were treating Silvershine's kits like real littermates.

"It's okay," Silentstorm assured Dewkit, purring in amusement. "They should be here in the next few days, hopefully. I'll certainly be glad to not be carrying kits anymore. I won't be as tired, or clumsy." _And I can't wait to meet you,_ she added silently, purring fondly as she thought of the kits in her belly.

Graykit and Pikekit purred. "I can't wait to play with them!" Graykit mewed, tail curling in joy.

Silentstorm's whiskers twitched. "You'll have to wait until they're old enough," she chided gently. "They're be too small when they're born."

Graykit opened her mouth to answer, only to be cut off by a distant call. "Let all cats of all four Clans join here for a meeting of our Clans!"

Graykit and Pikekit's tails shot up, giving excited purrs. "Silentstorm, can we go, please?" Pikekit begged.

Silentstorm hesitated, then nodded. "Alright. But be quite and listen, and stay close to me. You too," she added to Blossomfall's litter. She rose unsteadily to her paws, her massive belly making her clumsy as she led the kits out of the nursery.

Cats were gathering near the overturned block, avoiding the area where Cloudtail and Pouncetail's bodies were laid out. Night had fallen, so Silentstorm was surprised to catch the scent of Rizzo, and some of the other city cats. She hadn't realized that they had returned after chasing away the dog, and it smelled like all of them were there. The blind she-cat sat beside Lightfoot and Shadowpaw, the kits settling around near her paws. Her mate brushed his muzzle against hers with a purr as she sat, Shadowpaw mewing a quiet greeting.

Bramblestar stood atop the overturned block. Once every cat was gathered, he rumbled, "I would like to begin tonight by expressing thanks on the behalf of every Clan cat, to our city allies." Rizzo stood near him with the other leaders. She was moving her tail oddly, as though it had been hurt in the chase with the dog, but she held her head up proudly. "If it had not been for their brave diversion of the dogs, we would have lost many more cats today." He glanced towards the bodies of Cloudtail and Pouncetail, giving a sad twitch of his tail.

Cheers rose from the crowd, names of the various city cats chanted out. "Rizzo! Cosmo! Oak!" Silentstorm was pleased to hear no objections from the Clan cats, and many of the cats calling out for the city cats. She even thought she heard Yarrowleaf's voice, and Sparktail's.

Rizzo dipped her head. "We only did what any cat would have done," she mewed.

"Dogs can be big and brutish, but they're also predictable," Oak added from the crowd. "Once you know how they think, it's not hard to keep out of their way or distract them." His voice turned solemn as he added, "I just wish we could have saved your elders as well."

Leafpool mewed from where she sat, "It's not your fault." She flicked her ear towards the tom next to her. Finchwing had reluctantly left Cloudtail's vigil, and was sitting silently beside his mentor, his head bowed. "Sometimes, there's nothing any cat can do. Not every cat can be saved."

"Cloudtail and Pouncetail may be gone, but the rest of our Clanmates are alive today because of your courage today," Bramblestar rumbled to Rizzo. "We will not forget what you have done for us, or the skill and fearlessness you showed today. Breeze and his rogues will have their paws full trying to fight any of you."

More cheers rose from the crowd. Silentstorm heard Lionblaze nudge Cosima's shoulder with a friendly purr, while Ripplewing and Steamfrost chatting brightly with Whisp and Scurry.

As the cheers died down, Bramblestar took over again. "Today, we lost two valued cats, two elders who spent long lives serving their Clans, and have been honored for their moons of service. Now, they will run with StarClan, at rest and at peace for the rest of time. Tonight is a night of mourning, but it is also a night for celebrating the cats among us who acted bravely in defense of their Clanmates. And there are three apprentices who fought bravely in the defense of their elders, and tonight, we will honor them with their warrior names." Silentstorm stiffened as she realized what Bramblestar meant, and she heard Shadowpaw gasp beside her.

"Shadowpaw, Sunnypaw, and Redpaw, step forward!" Shadowpaw stiffened beside her. For a moment, Silentstorm wondered whether he was ready to pledge his loyalty to ThunderClan. Did he truly want to be a warrior of ThunderClan, or was his loyalty to ShadowClan?

Silentstorm leaned closer to Shadowpaw, murmuring, "It's your choice."

He glanced at her for a moment. Then, without any further sign of hesitation, he rose to his paws and began padding through the crowd. Shadowpaw met his sisters by the base of the overturned block, and didn't look back once. Silentstorm had been uncertain at first, but now that Shadowpaw had made his own excitement clear, she was nearly bursting with pride. Her first apprentice was finally to become a warrior!

Bramblestar began, "The cats before me have walked a hard path. The kits of the ShadowClan leader were always going to have a hard time proving themselves in ThunderClan." Shadowpaw flicked and ear, and Sunnypaw gave a small nod, but otherwise neither cat reacted. "But they have more than proved their courage and compassion, and they will be valued warriors." The leader lifted his chin. "I, Bramblestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn."

He hopped down from the block, coming to stand before his kits. There was warmth and love in his mew as he said, "Sunnypaw, Shadowpaw, Redpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," Sunnypaw and Redpaw mewed together. Sunnypaw sounded bright and excited as a kit, and while Redpaw's tone was more controlled, she was clearly excited as well.

There was no hesitation at all in Shadowpaw's mew as he said, "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names." Bramblestar paused for a moment, something heavy in the pause. "When I first named you, I promised that I would do everything in my power to remember and honor the loyal warriors who have left to join StarClan," he rumbled. "Today, I uphold that promise again." He turned to Sunnypaw first. "Sunnypaw, from this moment on you will be known as Sunnyflower. StarClan honors your kindness and your forethought, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." Silentstorm heard murmurs of understanding from some of the older warriors, but she wasn't sure what they were reacting to. Had Bramblestar named Sunnypaw after someone? It must have been someone who had died before she'd been born.

Bramblestar turned to Shadowpaw next. "Shadowpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Shadowstripe," he rumbled. Shadowstripe lifted his head, a proud purr escaping him. "StarClan honors your thoughtfulness, and your loyalty, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." Silentstorm had never felt so proud before. She heard Shadowstripe's purr as he dipped his head, his father resting his chin over his head.

Last of all, Bramblestar turned to Redpaw. He hesitated a moment longer, before saying, "Redpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Redleaf. StarClan honors your patience and wisdom, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

This time more cats murmured in surprise. Silentstorm stiffened, awe coming over her as she realized the significance of Redleaf's name. _Hollyleaf,_ she realized. _He named her after Hollyleaf._ She felt a sudden rush of warmth for the StarClan cat, who had done her best to guide her and advise her about the prophecy. But after a moment, it faded. _Where are you, Hollyleaf?_ she wondered. _I need your guidance again._

"Sunnyflower! Shadowstripe! Redleaf!" Cats began to cheer for the new warriors. After shaking off her dark thoughts, Silentstorm added her voice to the sounds of the crowd, cheering loudly for her first apprentice. "Shadowstripe!"

As the cheers died down, Bramblestar gave a dismissive flick of his tail, sending the new warriors back into the crowd. Shadowstripe was purring loudly as he came to stand beside his former mentor, his pelt quivering with joy. Silentstorm flicked her tail against his flank, giving a small purr as Bramblestar continued, "We also have four kits who are ready to begin their training. Step forward Dewkit, Graykit, Duskkit, and Stormkit!"

All four kits stiffened from where they sat beside Silentstorm. Slowly, they rose to their paws, coming to stand before Bramblestar.

The leader paused as he regarded the kits. "Your mother and father should have been here to see this moment," he said in a subdued tone. "And your brother should stand beside you today." Silentstorm felt a brief flicker of horror as she remembered the horrifying deaths of Blossomfall and Cedarkit, and how she hadn't been able to save Mousewhisker in battle. "Your early life had been plagued by tragedy. But now, hopefully, better times are ahead. Your Clan will always stand beside you." He gave a quick shake of his head. "From this moment on, until he has earned his warrior name, this cat will be known as Stormpaw." The new apprentice lifted his head, giving a small purr. "Dovewing!"

Silentstorm heard a murmur of surprise, then Dovewing was padding to the front, coming to stand before her new apprentice. "Dovewing, you have used the gifts granted to you by StarClan again and again in the service of your Clan. You worked hard to fulfill the prophecy of the Three, and the Clans live on today because of your courage and your sacrifice. Pass on these virtues and skills to your new apprentice." Dovewing purred as she touched noses with Stormpaw, who purred back in response. Dovewing had never had an apprentice before, but the she-cat was one of the Three. Any cat would be lucky to have her as a mentor.

Bramblestar renamed Graypaw and Dewpaw next, assigning them to Lilyfrost and Poppyfrost respectively. He turned to Duskkit last. "From this moment on, until she has earned her warrior name, this cat will be known as Duskpaw," he called. He glanced around the crowd, before calling, "Blazeheart!"

Silentstorm heard a nearby gasp. Blazeheart had been looking after Wrenkit so Ambertalon could sit vigil for Cloudtail, but he had joined the crowd for the ceremony, having left Wrenkit with another queen. He was sitting nearby, and had gone stiff in shock, his tail bristling.

The she-cat felt a rush of excitement. _My brother is getting his first apprentice!_ After a few moments, Blazeheart rose shakily to his paws, coming to stand at the front with his new apprentice.

"Blazeheart, you have proven over the moons to be a patience, thoughtful warrior, always looking out for the young and old of our Clan," Bramblestar announced. "You learned well from Bumblestripe, and I expect you will pass on the same courage and thinking to Duskpaw."

Blazeheart's shock seemed to have worn off. He was purring now, lowering his head so he could touch noses with the new apprentice. Duskpaw lifted her muzzle eagerly, purring loudly.

"Stormpaw! Dewpaw! Graypaw! Duskpaw!" Cries rang out from the crowd as the Clan welcomed the new apprentices. Silentstorm heard Silvershine purring loudly. She had left behind the vigil for her father, moving through the crowd as she came to greet the new apprentices. Silentstorm listened as she purred, touching noses with each apprentice in turn as the meeting broke up. The RiverClan queen sounded as proud of the new ThunderClan apprentices as any mother would be. Graykit and Pikekit ran from the crowd, joining their mother as they congratulated their adopted siblings with bright mews.

As the crowd began to break up, Silentstorm turned to Shadowstripe. He was already bound by the silence of a warrior's vigil, but he was purring loudly enough to tell Silentstorm everything she needed to know. She rubbed her muzzle against his, purring, "I can't tell you how proud I am of you, Shadowstripe. You've earned this." She pulled back, mewing, "Good luck with your vigil."

Shadowstripe nodded silently, his pelt prickling with joy. He gave a small dip of his head to Silentstorm and Lightfoot, then turned and padded away, joining his littermates as they began to move towards the window. They hopped up one by one onto the window, leaping outside. Silentstorm wondered if they would sit their vigil on the roof tonight; after the dogs, the ground didn't seem as safe.

Once he was gone, Silentstorm pressed her muzzle against Lightfoot's neck. "I'm going to go get some sleep," she murmured. "See you in the morning."

"See you in the morning," Lightfoot purred back quietly. He padded away, leaving Silentstorm alone as she made her way to the nursery. She knew that Silvershine would send in her kits if she wanted Silentstorm to look after them during the vigil.

But as she curled up in her nest for the night, the joy of the ceremonies was beginning to fade, leaving her feeling hollow with grief. Cloudtail and Pouncetail were gone, StarClan hadn't spoken to her in moons, and the city seemed more and more dangerous every day. _We have to get out of here soon,_ she thought as she curled her tail tight around herself. _I can't raise my kits here. They need the forest._

 _I just hope we can get back soon._

* * *

Hehe. Yeah. I feel like I should've had another "prepare to cry" warning at the end of last chapter. Oops.

So yeah, Cloudtail is dead, and so is Pouncetail, but at least Swanfall is okay. Cloudtail was led to StarClan by Firestar - the cat who brought him to ThunderClan is the cat to take him from ThunderClan. It felt fitting. Pouncetail was led to StarClan by his mate Mosspelt.

Sorry about Cloudtail, but it felt like the right time and the right way, defending Brightheart from the dogs when he couldn't all those moons ago, and she found the courage to fight the dogs again on his behalf. And we also start to see how it has affected Finchwing.

But on the happy side of things, Shadowstripe, Sunnyflower, and Redleaf are now warriors! :D To those wondering, Shadowstripe is not named after anyone like his littermates, he was just named after his night-black stripes. Redleaf, as the chapter says, is named after Hollyleaf. Bramblestar wanted to honor his daughter, and Redleaf is the most similar to Hollyleaf among her littermates in terms of temperament. She's calm, patient, and thoughtful. Sunnyflower is interesting, because I went back and forth on her name a ton, but the other two were always set in stone. I considered Sunnypelt after Tawnypelt, but that sounded kind of boring. I also considered Sunnybird and Sunnycloud, because they sounded pretty, and cheerful and bright like she is. But finally I went with Sunnyflower, for the same reasons of sounding bright and cheerful, but also after Goldenflower, who was an amazing mom to Tawnypelt and Bramblestar and seriously deserved a cat named after her.

And Blossomfall's kits are finally apprentices. :D I tried to give apprentices to cats who hadn't been mentors yet. None of the four chosen mentors (Dovewing, Poppyfrost, Lilyfrost, and Blazeheart) had ever been mentors before. But after this, I think every warrior except for the newest ones (Ripplewing, Skystripe, Shadowstripe, Redleaf, and Sunnyflower) will have had at least one apprentice.

It's funny, because this is not what this chapter was meant to be about, at all. Cloudtail was supposed to die this chapter, but all of the ceremonies were meant to happen last chapter, and there was something else major that was supposed to happen this chapter. But the ceremonies took up so much time that I'm just going to have to push the major thing back to next chapter. Luckily, I didn't have much planned for next chapter anyway, so hopefully I can fit it all into next chapter, and after that we can resume the usual schedule.

Next chapter will be in Silentstorm's POV. Wow, is there really only ten chapters left? How did that happen? Who wants to bet I can have this book finished in less than a month? ^^ After COTF, I might do another novella before starting on book six. It's weird to think I might be done with EOTW soon. I don't want to think about it yet. I want to get back to writing original stuff, but I also don't want to be done with fanfic. It's a weird feeling.


	19. Chapter Seventeen

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 5: Code of the Forest  
Chapter Seventeen

"Hello Silentstorm," Night mewed quietly as the warriors approached her. "Where are Blazeheart and Eeltooth?"

Silentstorm gave a weary flick of her tail in greeting. "Eeltooth is training his and Specklefoot's apprentice," she explained. "And Blazeheart was given his first apprentice a few days ago. He's busy training her." She lifted her muzzle, sniffing curiously. "There's new scents here," she commented lightly. "Did you bring new allies?"

Night nodded. She waved her tail, gesturing to two cats who came to sit beside her. "I believe you already met Stone," she mewed to Silentstorm. The blind she-cat gave a stiff nod; she had fought the young ShadowClan warrior during Shrew's attempted takeover. "And this," Night continued, turning to the other tom, "is Hurricane. They're both guards at our camp."

Silentstorm's ears flicked forward in interest. Other than Night, they hadn't recruited any of the guards yet, only regular members of Breeze's group. It had seemed too risky to try and convince Breeze's most loyal members. But now, it seemed that Night had managed to recruit two.

"Good to meet you," Silentstorm mewed. As all of the cats began to sit, she mewed, "Let's start by having Stone and Hurricane tell us why they joined Breeze in the first place, and why they want to help defeat him now." Specklefoot, Lightfoot, and Darkbreeze sat near her, while Night's campmates sat near her.

Stone and Hurricane exchanged brief glances, before Stone began. "I wasn't always one of Shrew's supporters," he began. "I wanted to be loyal to Tigerstar and the warrior code. But Tigerstar was just such a terrible leader. Shrew's points started to make a lot of sense, and she was always such a brave and clever warrior. I thought she would make a much better leader than Tigerstar. So I supported her when she tried to overthrow him." He ducked his head shamefully. "But we lost, and we were exiled."

"I was angry for a long time about that. I thought that Tigerstar had been wrong to exile us, and he should have let Shrew lead, as she was clearly better suited for it. When we allied with Breeze, he seemed like a strong, noble leader, so I did my best to try to prove I was loyal to him. I didn't know if I believed we should destroy the Clans entirely, but I thought they had strayed too far from the warrior code, so I didn't mind the idea of punishing them for it."

He sighed. "But then I learned that some of my campmates killed my mother on the night of that first half moon. My father... my father was with them. He tricked my mother away from the others by telling her he wanted to come back to ShadowClan. Then the others ambushed her, and they killed her." Stone gave a shaky breath, his claws scraping lightly against the stone. "I didn't find out until later. And Smoke didn't even seem to care. I knew they didn't love each other, but I don't know how he could do that to her. After that, I wanted nothing to do with Breeze or Shrew anymore. But I knew I couldn't do anything to stop him on my own. So I kept playing like I was loyal, and he made me a guard. When Night approached me, I knew that this was my chance to finally stop Shrew and Breeze, and to avenge my mother."

Silentstorm conferred briefly with the other Clan cats, then gave a small nod. "Then we're glad to have you," she mewed. "I promise, we'll help you avenge Applefur." She turned next to the other tom. "What about you, Hurricane?"

The large, shaggy tom dipped his head. "I was one of the first cats to join Breeze," he said in a deep mew. "I never interacted with the Clans much, and I didn't know much about them. But Sol and Breeze convinced me that they were a menace to the cats near the lake. I liked the idea of living and working together with other cats, so I joined them. The fighting against the Clans could be pretty vicious, and I didn't agree with everything Breeze ordered us to do, but I was willing to do what I had to in order to defend my campmates and defeat the enemy Breeze had described."

"I didn't even mind as much when Breeze wanted us to keep looking for you after you'd fled the forest," he continued. "In truth, I was glad you had escaped the fire. That was the worst thing Breeze asked us to do. It's no way for a cat to die – I wanted to hunt you down and defeat you in open battle. So I headed a lot of the patrols to find the Clans, and Breeze trusted me enough to make me part of his guard. But then I started to see how Breeze was treating those of my campmates who didn't agree with him anymore."

He gave a lash of his tail, a growl entering his tone. "He wasn't the righteous avenger he claimed to be. He was a bully, and my campmates deserved better. And once Night approached me and started telling me about what the Clans were really like, I realized Breeze had been wrong about everything. He was wrong to try and destroy the Clans, and he was wrong to treat his own campmates like prisoners and cats meant to serve him, rather than cats who had chosen to follow him and who deserved respect." He brought his chin up, growling, "I have to help put it right. I want to help defeat Breeze, and make the lake safe for every cat again, Clan cat, rogue, and so on."

"I'm glad to hear it," Silentstorm mewed.

As the Clans cats began to organize the lesson for the day, Lightning approached Silentstorm. "How long is it going to be before the attack?" she asked quietly.

Silentstorm hesitated. Before she could respond, Darkbreeze said in a stiff tone, "It doesn't matter right now."

Lightning flicked her ears back, clearly put off by the warrior's tone. Some of the other cats had overheard as well. Strike looked over at the Clan cats, seeming to sneer, "Don't you trust us?"

 _Not you, anyway,_ Silentstorm thought. Even if she'd wanted to tell the rogues when the next battle would be, she couldn't. The leaders still hadn't decided when the attack was going to be yet. But she got the feeling it was going to be soon. The city cats had advanced a lot in their training, and after the attack from the dogs, every cat was anxious to be back in the forest.

"You did try to destroy our way of life and kill the cats we care about," Specklefoot pointed out stiffly. "We're glad to have your help now, but you haven't earned our trust yet."

Strike pinned back his ears, looking like he was about to start an argument. But before he could say anything, Night stepped in front of him, giving a commanding lash of her tail. "They're right," she pointed out to the tom. "We tried to destroy them only a few moons ago; we have no right to expect them to trust us fully now. That trust has to be earned."

Strike gave a snort. "They're the ones that need our help," he pointed out.

"We need their help too," she reminded him sharply. Night glanced back at the Clan cats. "We trusted them not to tell the Clan leaders about us being in the city, and they have proven themselves by keeping our secret. Once we have proved ourselves in turn, then we can join them in the fight to stop Breeze. Until then, we need to work with them. It's the only way to stop Breeze from hurting any more cats."

The tom gave an irritable lash of his tail. "She's right," Hurricane spoke up, glancing at the Clan cats. "We're the ones that hurt them."

"And Breeze hurt us too," Drizzle added. "We need to work together to stop him. It's the only way."

Strike grumbled, but didn't argue further. "We'll tell you when the attack is when the time is right," Specklefoot promised gruffly. "But for now, we just have to work together."

With the brief spat over, Silentstorm finished organizing the day's lesson. Specklefoot, Lightfoot, and Darkbreeze began working together with Night's campmates while Silentstorm sat nearby and called out instructions. But even as she supervised the training session, doubts began to plague her. All of their plans hinged on the hope that the Clans would be willing to work together with Night's campmates once the truth was revealed, and that Night's campmates would be willing to work with all of the Clans cats, not just the few they were learning to trust now. What would they do if the leaders refused to work with their new allies? Or if one of them turned out to be a traitor, or all of them? And even if it all worked out, would it still be enough to defeat Breeze?

Silentstorm tried to ignore her doubts, but they hung heavy in her heart as the day wore on.

 **SCENEBREAK**

Once the training session was over, the Clans cats and Night's campmates parted ways. Specklefoot set off to meet up with Eeltooth to help train their apprentices, while Darkbreeze and Lightfoot hurried off to meet up with patrols. Silentstorm hurried back to the stone barn.

She spent the rest of the day resting in her nest in the nursery, looking after some of the kits and telling them stories, as well as chatting with Leafdrift and Ambertalon, as well as Honeyheart, who had just moved into the nursery expecting Quickhare's kits.

Leafdrift had given birth to her own kits the previous day. Cragkit and Brookkit were nestled against her belly while the queens talked, mewing quietly as they nursed. Wrenkit nursed as well, but at nine days old she was already bigger than the newborns. She had opened her eyes, which according to Ambertalon were still kitten-blue, and had begun shuffling around the nest more often. Silentstorm adored her already; she only hoped they could keep her brother's kit safe until it was time to return home.

When night came, Silentstorm curled up in her nest. She could hear the gentle breathing of the other queens, and the sleeping kits, as she felt herself drift off to sleep.

"Silentstorm."

The she-cat spun around, pelt fluffing out in shock. Only a few moments ago, she had been drifted off to sleep in her nest. Now, she was standing on hard, flat stone, the cool night breeze winding through her pelt. Her belly no longer felt heavy with kits, her limbs as strong and sure as at the height of her warrior strength. But most shocking of all was the voice who had spoken her name.

" _Rock?_ " she gasped. She hadn't heard from the ancient tom since she had last left the forest. But now, here he was, standing a few fox-lengths in front of her. She quickly realized from the wind and the feeling of the stone under her paws that they were on the roof of the stone barn. It finally occurred to her that she was dreaming.

Instantly, a thousand questions came to her mind. It had been so long since she had seen any spirit of any kind, and there was so much she needed to know, so much that had to be explained. But after a few moments, the questions and curiosity died down, replaced by cold anger. "Where have you been?" she asked, a cold edge to her mew. "I needed to talk to you."

Rock didn't seem fazed by her anger. "I'm here now," he mewed, sounding unconcerned. "And there is much I have to tell you."

Silentstorm felt a fierce burst of anger. "You can't just come here after moons of ignoring me and expect me to follow wherever you lead!" she snapped, arching her back. "I needed to know more about the prophecy, and how to keep my Clan safe, and I didn't hear a word from you, or from StarClan, for moons!"

"That's enough," Rock growled, suddenly pushed to anger himself. "Just stop talking and listen for a moment." Silentstorm was ready with a retort, only to be broken off by a wheezing cough from Rock. Slowly, her anger began to die. She started to realize how frail Rock's voice sounded, how weary he seemed. Something bigger was at play here that she didn't understand yet.

Reluctant, but curious enough to put her anger aside, Silentstorm let her hackles lie flat. "Fine. I'm listening."

Rock took a moment to collect himself, before explaining, "StarClan cannot speak to the Clans at all right now." Silentstorm's pelt began to prickle eerily. "They can see you, but distorted, as though through a mist, and they can't speak to you or to the medicine cats."

Silentstorm's tail was bristling in sudden fear. She hadn't heard any of the medicine cats talking about signs from StarClan in the last moons, and she hadn't been able to speak to them herself, but she hadn't imagined that their connection to the living Clans had been cut off that badly. "Is it something that Shade did?" she asked, feeling a shiver run through her pelt.

To her relief, Rock shook his head. "No, nothing to do with her. It's this city. It isn't the Clan's home, it's not where they belong. It's the same thing with the skies here. There are already spirits here, spirits of kittypets and loners and city cats of all kinds, and their skies dominate this place. Your StarClan cats barely have enough room here for themselves, and they aren't strong here. They don't belong here, and they don't have power here. And with no central spiritual place to really connect them with the living here, like the Moonstone or Moonpool, they can't communicate with you." He shrugged. "It was the same way during the Great Journey. While the Clans were in the mountains, the skies there belonged to the Tribe of Endless Hunting, so StarClan had little power to talk to the living or do anything else. And at least there, they had a spiritual place to draw strength from. Here, there is nothing."

Slowly, Silentstorm's fear began to fade, her bristled pelt beginning to lie flat. "So when we go back to the forest, it'll be alright again?" she questioned. "They'll be strong again, and able to speak to us?"

There was a pause. "They will be able to speak to you again," Rock finally answered. "But as long as Shade is out there, they are in danger. And if she takes control of a body, and kills me, StarClan and all others like them will be lost." A small note of triumph seemed to come into his tone as he added, "Breeze and Shade are no longer as close of allies as they were. Breeze was furious that the Clans escaped the trap that Shade had helped set for them, and Shade has been unable to find the Clans for him, so he has refused to give her any cats from his group to use as a body. She has lost some of her power, and the Dark Forest spirits no longer roam the territories there."

Silentstorm tipped her head, suddenly puzzled. "How come Shade can't find us?" she asked. "I know she's stuck in the Dark Forest, but she can still see the living world from there, right?"

Rock gave a hoarse purr. "She can't find you because I'm hiding you from her," he answered, almost sounding smug. "Ever since the Clans escaped to the city, I have been here with you, using all that is left of my power to hide you from her sight. She is just as frustrated as Breeze, but as long as she can't point Breeze to where you are, he isn't her ally. We have stalled her plans, for now." His tone grew graver as he added, "But the day will come when she finds a body of her own. And on that day, I will need your help."

Silentstorm waited in uneasy silence, a feeling of apprehension coming over her as Rock regarded her. "You have seen the suffering of your Clans now that they are away from their home. You have seen death, and loss. You know what's at stake. I think it is finally time for you to know how you will defeat Breeze."

The she-cat drew in a sharp breath. "So... you've known, all this time?" she accused, though she felt more stunned than angry. "You knew how I could save the Clans, and you kept it from me?"

"It wasn't the right time for you to know," was the tom's vague answer. Silentstorm gave a frustrated lash of her tail. "But now, you can finally understand the weight of what is at stake. Come." He walked past her, his bald tail flicking against her shoulder. "There is something you need to witness. Then, you will understand."

Confused, but desperate to know the truth, Silentstorm began to follow the bald tom. They climbed easily down from the roof, padding alone the flat stone of the twoleg paths.

* * *

Well. Okay. Here's the thing.

There was going to be more to this chapter. I was going to show the rest of the dream in this chapter. But I quickly realized that the chapter was getting ridiculously long (it was around 5600 words at this point and still not done), so I gave up and sliced the chapter in two, cutting off here at the start of the dream. I already have the entire next chapter written, so I'm going to post it in a minute. That resulted in the plots for chapters eighteen and nineteen having to get smushed into one chapter, but I /think/ that'll be okay, and then we'll finally be back on track.

I don't have much to say before the next chapter. Cragkit is a stone gray she-cat with a white chest and blue eyes, and Brookkit is a light brown tabby tom with white and with green eyes. I wanted to try some new prefixes. I know Quickhare was Honeyheart's mentor, and I'm not usually a big fan of pairings like that, but he was only her mentor for less than a moon after her old mentor died, and he's pretty close to her in age, so I don't mind all that much.

Onto the next chapter. I hope y'all are ready. This is going to get a bit crazy.


	20. Chapter Eighteen

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 5: Code of the Forest  
Chapter Eighteen

As Silentstorm followed Rock through the city, the stone fell away under their paws, replaced with soft grass. Silentstorm could feel something else in the air too, some change. It was no longer night, but day, the sun's warmth on her back. She quickly realized that she was in ThunderClan's forest, but something was wrong. The undergrowth was sparser, and the trees seemed smaller.

She was quickly distracted from these thoughts by the sounds of paws thundering towards her. A pelt tore past hers, a tom hurtling through the forest with a she-cat and two kits. Silentstorm barely had time to comprehend that before she heard vicious yowling, and the pounding of paws behind her. Sudden fear filled her. She took off at a run, falling in behind the tom and she-cat. They pelted through the forest together, fleeing from their pursuers. Silentstorm felt a rush of horror as she caught the scent of their pursuers, an awful, rotting stench. _Dark Forest cats!_ she realized.

The tom, she-cat, and kits continued to flee, but as they ran, one of the kits tripped and went sprawling onto the forest floor. Silentstorm felt a burst of fear. She rushed back, reaching the kit's side quickly as their pursuers bore down on them. She tried to grasp the kit's scruff between her teeth, only to feel her jaws pass through the kit's pelt, as though the kit were made of mist. The rest of the kit's family had turned back for it, and the Dark Forest cats were soon upon them, shrieking with delight as they threw themselves into battle. Silentstorm gasped as one Dark Forest cat passed through her as he leaped at the tom, the tom's paw passing through her neck as he swiped at the Dark Forest cat.

 _I'm not really here,_ she realized. _I can't change what is happening to these cats._ She had no idea what was happening, who these cats were, whether this was a vision of things to come or something simply imagined. She could no longer sense Rock nearby, so she couldn't question him about what she was being shown. All she could do was listen in horror as the Dark Forest spirits savaged the couple and their kits.

Silentstorm thought the shrieks and screams would never end. But finally, the tom managed to chase away the few Dark Forest spirits that had not been slain. He was heavily injured, panting and shaking with the effort of the battle. The she-cat and kits were eerily silent.

The tom finally seemed to notice their silence. "No!" He limped heavily to the side of the she-cat, nuzzling her cheek desperately. "Eliza! Eliza please, you can't be dead! Eliza!" Even as he nuzzled her and begged her, Silentstorm could tell it was no use. The stench of death was heavy over Eliza – she was already gone.

More horrifying still was the tom's shriek as his gaze fell onto his kits. The kit that Silentstorm had tried to help had been slain first, his throat torn open by the rogues as soon as they had fallen upon him. The she-cat was lying a few paces away, neck twisted at an odd angled and bleeding out into the grass.

" _No!_ " The tom's desperate wailing and grown in pitch. "Lavender! Thunderclap! Oh, my kits! He tried to limp to his kits, but his wounds were too much for him, and he stumbled, sprawling out onto the grass. Too weak to get up again, he stayed where he was, shaking with grief and wailing his despair. Silentstorm was rooted to the spot, every hair on her pelt shaking with horror. She was powerless to comfort the tom, or let him know she was there. All she could do was listen to him wail and shriek for his loss.

She had no idea how long she stood there, listening to the tom's cries. At some point, they had died down from wails into exhausted moans. Pawsteps sounded behind them. Silentstorm pricked her ears, sniffing curiously, only to be hit with a scent of stars and ice, almost like Hollyleaf's StarClan scent. The tom barely seemed to notice, still curled in on himself and moaning in grief.

"Hawthorn." Silentstorm froze, shock nearly sweeping her off of her paws. The tom approached the moaning tom, his paws barely making a sound against the grass. "Hawthorn, I am so sorry." The tom came to stand before the moaning tom, right next to Silentstorm, his starry scent heavy in the air. But she no longer needed to recognize him through his scent; she knew his voice. _It's Rock!_

Rock didn't seem to realize she was there. As he stood next to her, the pelt that brushed against hers was full and sleek, not the furless, wrinkled skin that covered the Rock she knew. A sense of awe started to come over her. _This is Rock when he was young,_ she realized with wonder. _I'm in the past. He's brought me to the past._

The moaning tom, Hawthorn, looked up at the young Rock. His voice was cracked with grief, raw from wailing. "I know you," he rasped, sounding dazed. "You're Rock, aren't you? You're the Spirit of Light."

Rock dipped his head. "I am," he murmured.

Sudden anger seemed to spark in Hawthorn. He lashed out with one paw, his claws nearly slicing through Rock's pelt, but Rock seemed to pull away too quickly. "This is your fault!" he roared, grief making his pelt shake. "You're supposed to protect us from Shade! You were supposed to stop this! But now her spirits roam around free, killing and savaging as they please. And now my family..." His voice broke again, grief overwhelming him.

Rock watched the tom, something sorrowful in the slow wave of his tail. "I hadn't realized how bad things had gotten," he mewed quietly. "I didn't see... I should have stopped this. I thought that Shade knew better than to cross the line like this." He sighed, a determined edge creeping into his tone. "Enough is enough. I have to stop Shade, for good."

Hawthorn looked up at Rock again, something challenging in the lash of his tail. " _Can_ you?" he challenged in a low growl.

"I don't know," Rock admitted. "But I have to try." There was a sudden change in the air, something shimmery as more star-scent filled the air. "I will lead the spirits of your family to safety. Then, I'll confront Shade. This ends today."

Hawthorn said nothing, simply keeping his gaze towards Rock, his tail lashing. Without another word, Rock turned and began to pad away. His pawsteps fell suddenly silent, the sound of something flapping taking of, the rustle of feathers. To Silentstorm's shock, Rock rose from the ground, the scent of a hawk replacing his cat-scent, as he scooped the air with his new wings in order to rise into the sky.

 _He said that he and Shade could take on any form at their full power,_ Silentstorm recalled shakily. _I guess he wasn't kidding._

The scene around Silentstorm began to change again. It was night now, a light rain falling and covering the forest in a layer of mist. She was near the tunnels now, and she could tell there were other cats around her, muttering and crying out in excitement and fear. A fearsome yowling and shrieking was sounding just a few fox-lengths from her. She could recognize the deep battle yowl of Rock, and the furious shriek of Shade. With a rush of shock, she realized she was witnessing the battle between Rock and Shade.

Eventually, the shrieks died down. There was a thunderous sound like trees cracking, and a final shriek from Shade. Then, she was gone, and all that was left was the sound of the cats watched. _He's banished her to the Dark Forest,_ Silentstorm thought.

For a long time, none of the gathered cats spoke. The sounds of the battle must have attracted them there, Silentstorm realized, and they had been helpless to do anything but watch the battle between the two powerful opponents. Now, they just stared at Rock. Silentstorm knew he had been badly hurt in the battle from what he'd told her, but she couldn't hear him panting or gasping in pain now, or any sound from him at all.

Finally, a cat stepped forward from the crowd. "What happened?" she rasped, sounding both awed and fearful. "What are you?"

Something passed near Silentstorm, a misty presence that was cool and light, but also somehow felt alive. "I banished her," came the voice of Rock, though she could not figure out where it came from. "I have taken as much of her power as I can, and now she is trapped in her own dark realms, wounded and greatly weakened." He sighed, a soft, airy sound. "But I have been weakened too. And for that, I have lost the power to command any form."

Silentstorm froze in shock. She remembered how Rock had told that that he had weakened Shade to the point that she couldn't take on any form anymore, and was nothing more than mist. But Rock still had a body; she'd thought it was still his own, and that it was simply old and withered from the passage of time. But now she understood just how wrong she'd been. _He's just mist now, like Shade,_ she realized, her mind reeling. _But why does he have a body in my time?_

There was a pause from the crowd. "Will... will she ever come back?" another cat finally asked.

"Not the way she is now," Rock answered in his airy voice. "She is formless, like me, and cannot leave her dark realms. But..." he trailed off, suddenly sounding exhausted. "But if a cat willingly gives her their own body to control, she would be able to come back and roam free. And then, she could try to take my power."

Worried murmurs and cries came from the crowd. "Could she really do that?" another she-cat asked.

"While I'm like this, she cannot harm me," Rock answered wearily. "But I cannot do anything to her like this, either. If she came back, I would be powerless to stop her."

The brief relief the cats had felt seemed to be over, replaced once more by fear. Silentstorm could hear wails from the crowd, as cats realized the danger they were still in.

Then, suddenly, a new voice spoke. "What if one of us gave you a body?"

Every cat turned to face the cat who had spoken. Silentstorm stiffened in surprise as she recognized the voice of Hawthorn. The tom limped forward, clearly still injured, but with his head held high and his tone clear.

"What are you talking about?" one she-cat asked him.

Hawthorn didn't seem to even notice the cats in the crowd. From what Silentstorm could tell, he was still turned towards Rock, not looking away from him for a moment. "You said that if a cat willingly gave Shade their body, she could use it to come back," he meowed clearly. "And that if you don't have a body, you can't stop her. But if she can be willingly given a body, so can you, right? And you need a body in order to stop her if she comes back."

There was a long pause. Then, finally, came Rock's reply. "Yes," he sighed, sounding almost resigned.

"Then take mine," Hawthorn growled immediately.

Gasps came from the gathered cats. "Hawthorn, what are you doing?" one cat asked him.

"If he takes your body, who knows if you'll ever be free again!" another cat exclaimed.

Hawthorn was still looking straight at Rock, something defiant in the lash of his tail. "My family is gone," he meowed clearly. "They were taken by the monsters that Shade set loose on all of us. If she comes back, she'll do it again. And I can't let that happen to someone else's family. I can't let her take the spirits of my family and doom them to her dark realms." He limped forward, a certain dignity to his stance even as injured as he was, coming to stand before Rock. "Do what you have to," he said clearly. "I'll do whatever it takes to stop Shade from coming back."

"Hawthorn..." one cat mewed behind him, sounding pained.

Hawthorn turned back to the other cats, his tone softening for a moment. "This is something that has to be done," he explained gently. "Someone has to stop Shade from coming back. We can't just do nothing and wait for her to come back." He turned back to Rock, giving a shuddering breath. "I'm ready," he said simply.

There was a long pause. "Very well," Rock finally said. "Your sacrifice will always be honored." He paused again. Then, in a softer tone, "Thank you."

Without another word, the misty form of Rock moved closer to Hawthorn. There was a sudden burst of icy wind from the two creatures, the scent of starlight getting stronger. Hawthorn stiffened, digging his claws into the ground as the mist surrounded him. Silentstorm bristled in shock as she witnessed Rock taking over Hawthorn's body.

The scene around her faded again. She was at the same spot, but Rock and Hawthorn were gone. Cats were gathered nearby, muttering together. "Hawthorn was right," one she-cat was saying. "We can't just sit around and wait for her to come back. We need to do something."

"Like what?" another cat asked.

The she-cat paused, thoughtful for a few moments. Finally, she mewed, "We have to guard this place. A lot of rogues already live around here. We'll come live together, and work together to keep an eye on this place. Rock said that Shade would be trapped in the place where the battle happened as well as her dark realms – we'll guard this place, and make sure she never comes back."

"Cats don't live together," one tom growled. "It isn't natural."

The she-cat lashed her tail, seeming annoyed. "Would you rather Shade come back?" she demanded in an icy tone. The tom still seemed annoyed, but he didn't object again.

After a brief pause, one cat spoke. "We would need someone to be a leader," she mewed quietly. She looked at the she-cat who had first spoken, asking, "Will you lead us, Honeysuckle?"

Honeysuckle seemed to hesitate, then gave a slow nod. "Very well," she said quietly. "I will be your leader."

The scene began to change again. The undergrowth had grown thicker, and the scents had changed; more time had passed. Cats were gathering at the edge of one of the tunnels. A tom was walking ahead of the rest, a she-cat keeping pace with him. "Are you sure you are ready for this?" she asked him.

"I'm ready," the tom replied. He sounded younger than her – a son of the she-cat's, perhaps.

Silentstorm's guess was confirmed when the she-cat murmured, "You're my eldest, Fallen Leaves. The first of mine to face the ordeal."

 _Ordeal?_ Silentstorm wondered. Then, a memory sparked, an old conversation with Rock, about the group of cats that had formed after his defeat of Shade. _"_ _They developed a practice of sending their young cats into the tunnels, to check that Shade was still imprisoned there and to test their courage."_ She felt a shiver through her pelt. It seemed that Fallen Leaves' ordeal was to check if the dark spirit of Shade was still trapped under the lake.

The cats came to stand at the edge of a tunnel entrance. "Good luck, softpaw," one cat called.

After his final farewells, Fallen Leaves descended into the tunnel, his tail waving behind him. The scene began to shift again. Now she was standing in a glade, with many cats gathered. A young she-cat stood next to her. One cat was addressing the rest. "And a moon ago," he said as his voice shook, "Fallen Leaves went into the tunnels and never came out." She heard a soft wail from Fallen Leaves' mother.

Silentstorm stiffened. The ordeal had killed Fallen Leaves? The tom continued, "The trial in the caves isn't supposed to take sharpclaws away from us," he went on. "It's supposed to be the making of them, the sign that they're full grown and the equal of any other cat."

 _But what about Shade?_ Silentstorm wondered. She remembered more of what Rock had said about these cats. _"_ _Unfortunately, over the generations, they forgot about Shade, the spirits, or why they sent their softpaws into the tunnels to begin with."_

The tom turned to another tom in the crowd. "Jay's Wing has had a dream," he told the other cats. "He saw a place where we can live: stone hills teeming with prey and shelter, and free from any enemies." The scent of the tom Jay's Wing was almost familiar to Silentstorm, but she pushed that thought away, too distracted by what the first tom had said. _Stone hills,_ she repeated internally. _Does... does he mean the mountains?_ Rock had told her that the group by the lake had left to go somewhere else. Had they gone to the mountains? Were these cats the ancestors of the Tribe of Rushing Water?

No sooner had the thought occurred to her before the scene changed again, this time taking her to an unfamiliar cave. She could hear the roar of a waterfall nearby, and cats were moving through the cave, murmuring to each other. Somehow, without being told, she knew she was in the Cave of Rushing Water, home to the Tribe of Rushing Water.

One elderly she-cat was standing on a boulder next to a larger tom, speaking to the rest of the cats. She sounded and smelled somehow familiar. It took a few moments for Silentstorm to realized she was the young she-cat who had stood next to Silentstorm while the lake cats talked about leaving. _So they did go to the mountains!_ she realized. _The cats who protected the lake became the Tribe of Rushing Water!_

The elderly she-cat was saying, "Our home cannot support us all. But there is another place for some of us, full of sunlight and warmth and prey for all seasons. I have seen it... in my dreams." Silentstorm stiffened in surprise, and a nearby tom gave a surprised lash of his tail. _Some of them are leaving? But where will they go?_

The scene changed again, leaving Silentstorm now standing atop stony peaks, cats standing all around her. She could hear the tom who had lashed his tail in the Cave of Rushing Water, and realized that she had followed the cats who had left the Cave for a new home. "We made it!" one she-cat called triumphantly.

The tom she'd heard in the cave was looking curiously at the land beyond. "Is that where the other 'rogues' live?" he asked curiously. "Those all look like places where cats would settle."

"I think this could be our new home," another she-cat murmured.

Suddenly, the cat's voices fell away as the scene shifted again. The sun's warmth was gone, and it was night. There were still cats on top of the peak with her, but they were new cats now. Silentstorm listened, curious what she would learn this time, only to stiffen in shock as she recognized the voice of one of the cats. "Do you think our ancestors have abandoned us?"

 _Tawnypelt!_ She had only met the she-cat once at her first Gathering, but she recognized her pine-scent, and the sound of her mew. Her amazement only grew as she recognized the voice of Bramblestar next. "Well, they haven't sent the sign Midnight promised," he was saying, his voice full of uncertainty. "Have any of you seen a dying warrior?" He sounded and smelled so much younger than when Silentstorm knew him – he was still Brambleclaw here, a young warrior, not the noble leader she knew.

"Perhaps it was Mudfur?" This voice she didn't know, but from the scent of reeds and water coming from the tom who'd spoke, she thought she could guess who had was. He was Stormfur, and these were the cats who had been sent on the sun-drown quest, to find a new home for their Clans.

"He was a medicine cat." Silentstorm was shocked by just how young Squirrelflight's mew sounded. She didn't even sound old enough to be a warrior yet. Silentstorm recalled that Squirrelflight and Crowfeather had both been apprentices during the journey. She could scent Crowpaw now, lashing his tail as the others argued, while Squirrelpaw was near Brambleclaw.

As they continued to speak, a new realization came over Silentstorm. If these were the questing cats, and they were already talking about where to lead the Clans, then it probably meant they were back home, in the old Clan territories. And if this place where the Tribe cats had journeyed to was the old Clan territories...

 _Then the lake cats, the Tribe of Rushing Water, and the Clans are all descended from the same cats,_ Silentstorm realized with a shock.

The moment the realization hit her, the peaks disappeared, and for a few moments, she was nowhere at all. Then, the feeling of hard stone returned under her paws, and she could scent the familiar stench of twolegs. She was back in the city, and Rock was standing in front of her, regarding her thoughtfully.

"Do you see now?" he mewed quietly. "You are descended from the cats who swore to guard Shade, and made sure she never returned to the world of the living. They are the reason that your Clans exist. And now, their promise must be upheld. _You_ must uphold it."

Silentstorm was lost for words for several moment. She was still overcome with amazement and horror by all she had seen, and how quickly everything had happened. "Hawthorn... is that still his body you're using?" she finally managed to rasp.

Rock nodded. "Yes," he mewed solemnly. "If I were not using his body, I would be mist, like Shade is now."

Horror washed over Silentstorm. "Is his spirit... is it still trapped in there?" she gasped.

"No." Silentstorm felt shaky with relief. "His spirit remained with me for some time, when I wasn't sure how soon Shade might try to escape. But after seaons passed, and Shade remained in her prison, I let Hawthorn's spirit free. He runs with his mate and kits now, in the stars."

Silentstorm was lost for words again. Rock padded closer to Silentstorm, using Hawthorn's paws to draw closer, Hawthorn's hairless tail lashing behind him. "Once, this body was strong," Rock told Silentstorm, something urgent in his tone. "But I have worn it for seasons and seasons and seaons beyond count. It is old now. It is weak. If Shade comes back with a fresh body, she will cut me down in a heartbeat." Silentstorm's pelt bristled in shock as he said, "I need a new body, Silentstorm."

"M-me?" Silentstorm gasped as the truth finally hit her. " _That's_ how I'm supposed to beat Shade? By letting you... what, possess me?"

"By working together," Rock said firmly. "I learned a lot from Hawthorn while he and I were together. Your courage, and your skill, together with my knowledge and power. It is the only hope we have to defeat Shade. We can fight as one."

Silentstorm's mind was reeling, horror making every hair on her pelt bristle. Every time she had tried to imagine how she would defeat Shade, and she had never even come close to dreaming of this. "So what happens if we win?" she managed to rasp. "Do I... die?"

"If your body is injured enough, yes," Rock answered grimly. Silentstorm's tail was quivering now. "If not, you will be freed. When we defeat Shade, I will take her power, and I will be strong enough to make a body of my own, and to undo the damage she has done. The dark realms will be closed off forever, and those spirits will never be able to harm the living again."

 _Dark times are coming. Only blind loyalty and silent sacrifice will save the Clans._ Now she finally understood. Blind loyalty, trusting Rock with no guarantee that she would be freed when this was over, that they would work together, that it would be enough to defeat Shade, that any of this was true. And to sacrifice her freedom and control, her body, possibly her life, to defeat Shade. In order to defeat the darkness, she would have to let Rock possess her, and together they would confront the spirit of darkness for one last fight, the fight to end them all.

She took a step back, sudden anger flaring up. "You should have told me this before!" she spat. "You should have... how can you ask this of me? I never knew!"

Rock didn't react, standing stoic and unmoved before her. "You wouldn't have understood the stakes before," he said, not without sympathy in his voice. "Now you know. Shade will destroy everything if she wins. If she kills me."

Silentstorm ducked her head, her entire pelt shaking. "But why me?" she rasped, her tail quivering and paws trembling. "Why does it have to be me?"

"Because I saw you, in a vision," Rock murmured. "I saw a cat who would be willing to shatter boundaries to do what was right, who spoke her mind and stood up for what she believed, and who had the strength and power to win this fight. Shade saw you too. You are the one we have been waiting for, for countless seasons."

A new thought occurred to the she-cat. Silentstorm took another step back, lashing her tail. "I'm carrying my kits right now," she reminded Rock with a snarl. "I won't let you possess me while I have to protect them!"

Rock sighed. "I wouldn't ask that," he said in a softer tone. "This doesn't have to happen yet. We cannot do anything to Shade while she is in the form of mist, not with the power I have now – otherwise, I would have disposed of her seasons ago. But the time will come when she gets a body of her own, and then, there will be battle." He took step back, giving the queen her space. "It's your choice," he reminded Silentstorm. "This will not be forced on you. When the time comes, it will be your decision to make."

Silentstorm's mind was still reeling as the city began to fade around her, her mind being pulled into other dreams. As she began to slip back into her usual dreams, she heard Rock's voice one last time. "We will meet again, Silent One."

Ahem.

Well, there's the answer to the prophecy, how she's supposed to defeat Shade and the darkness. Hoo boy, this is a loaded chapter. Where to start?

First, by saying that I quoted dialogue from "The Sun Trail," "Dawn," "Dark River," and "Long Shadows in this chapter. This dialogue and these scenes do not belong to me, they belong to Erin Hunter and Harper Collins, and I simply used them for the purposes of this chapter and this fanfic.

With that out of the way, I'll quickly go over descriptions for each cat (one of the downsides to Silentstorm being blind is I can't visually describe in the text cats that only she meets). Hawthorn is a gray tabby tom with white and with blue eyes (leaving Rock with only tufts of gray fur left and blind eyes that were once blue), Eliza (named after Eliza Hamilton - I have lost all control over my life and have sold my soul to this musical) is a tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes, Thunderclap is a black tom with amber eyes, and Lavender is a pale gray-and-white she-cat with blue eyes - her name and description comes from a character from one of my old fanfics, Fireheart's Betrayal, and there she was the sister of Barley. I wanted to throw her back in somehow. :P Honeysuckle is a yellow tabby she-cat with green eyes, and you know the rest - Stone Song, Jay's Wing, Half Moon/Stoneteller, Turtle Tail, Gray Wing, Dappled Pelt, and the questing cats. All of the cats I made up were rogues, until Honeysuckle became a leader.

I know this had a lot of scenes and flashbacks, but I wanted one of the living Clan cats to finally learn the true connection between the ancient cats, the Tribe, and the Clans. Jayfeather started to, but he never learned about the Tribe cats founding the Clans. I wanted at least one cat to know the full truth.

So yeah. That's how Silentstorm is meant to save the Clans - by having Rock possess her, and them fighting Shade together and defeating her once and for all once Shade finds her own body. I hope that lived up to whatever ideas you had about the prophecy and what it meant. Will Silentstorm agree? Will it work? We shall have to wait and see.

I also snuck another Hamilton reference in there, beyond just naming Hawthorn's mate Eliza. ^^ See if you can spot it... another immigrant coming up from the bottom (sorry, couldn't resist. :P)

Next chapter will be in Silentstorm's POV again.


	21. Chapter Nineteen

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 5: Code of the Forest  
Chapter Nineteen

"Nice move!"

Silentstorm lay on her side, resting as she listened to the training session nearby. Cosmo was facing off with Specklefoot, fighting to tackle the ShadowClan warrior to her paws. He had improved greatly from the clumsy kittypet he had been three moons ago. The kittypet ducked as Specklefoot aimed a swipe at his head, barreling into her legs and sending them both tumbling. When they came to a halt, Cosmo managed to pin Specklefoot, quickly making sure her hindquarters were pinned.

Not far from them, Eeltooth was wrestling with Chipmunk. The warrior was pinning Chipmunk, but with a quick kick the smaller tom swept Eeltooth's front legs out from under him. As Eeltooth stumbled forward, Chipmunk slithered free from his grasp, quickly coming onto the tom's back. He hooked his claws into Eeltooth's pelt to keep a grip as the warrior fought to get back on his paws.

Silentstorm laid her head on her paws, feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over her, as well as apprehension. It had been five days since her dream with Rock, and a quarter moon since the last Gathering. Memories of the dream, and the knowledge of what she had to do to beat Shade, weighed on her heavily. It didn't help that she felt constantly exhausted these days – her friends had held the training session very close to the stone barn because she couldn't walk much farther. She knew it couldn't be long until her kits were finally born.

Darkbreeze lay beside her at the moment. The two she-cats were sharing tongues, chatting lightly as they watched the training session. "Cosmo really has improved, hasn't he?" the WindClan she-cat asked.

Silentstorm hesitated, feeling a flicker of unease. She had been noticing something odd about her friend for the last moon or two. At first, she'd thought she'd been imagining it, but now, she was pretty sure of it. Ever since Cosmo had started training with the Clan cats, he and Darkbreeze had been spending more and more time together, always joking and playing, brushing pelts, twining tails. Silentstorm hadn't wanted to believe that her best friend would be foolish enough to take a mate outside of the Clan, but she couldn't deny the sight in Darkbreeze's mew when she said Cosmo's name, or how their pelts always brushed when they walked together.

In a low voice, she said, "You like him, don't you?"

Darkbreeze glanced at her best friend, giving a surprised flick of her tail. For a few moments, Silentstorm wasn't sure she was going to answer. But finally, she simply mewed, "Yes. He's funny, and he makes me purr."

Silentstorm held back a sigh. She had suspected it, but to hear Darkbreeze admit it was even more troubling. "Darkbreeze, you know what that could mean –"

"I know what the warrior code says, Silentstorm," Darkbreeze said in a cool tone. "I've seen it for myself what happens when cats make choices like that." When Silentstorm's ears flicked back, a little hurt by Darkbreeze's tone, the other she-cat softened a bit. "I know you're just worried," she murmured. "But it's my life. And... I want to enjoy the time I have now with Cosmo, before things have to change."

Silentstorm touched her nose to Darkbreeze's cheek, giving a small, encouraging purr. She didn't want her friend to think she was judging her, or chiding her. She just didn't want to see her hurt. "Do you think he'll want to join WindClan when this is all over?" she asked quietly.

Darkbreeze sighed. "I don't know," she admitted. "I know he loves his twolegs and the city. I can ask, but..." After a moment, she gave a quick shake of her head. "Like I said. I just want to enjoy the time I have with him." There was another pause. Then, in a smaller voice, she admitted, "I love him."

Silentstorm stiffened in shock. She hadn't guessed how deeply Darkbreeze's feelings for the kittypet ran. After a moment, though, she regained her composure enough to rasp, "I'm sorry." Darkbreeze blinked at her. "I mean, I'd glad you found someone who loves you. I just wish it was easier."

"Me too," Darkbreeze murmured. "But I have him for now. That'll have to be enough."

As the mentors and apprentices broke apart Darkbreeze rose to her paws, padding over. "Want to rest for a bout, Specklefoot?" she asked. Silentstorm tried to push away the flicker of worry in her belly. Specklefoot nodded, padding back over to Silentstorm as Darkbreeze and Cosmo faced off.

Cosmo lunged at the she-cat, but Darkbreeze danced neatly out of range. As Specklefoot lay down beside Silentstorm, she heard Darkbreeze taunt gleefully, "You're lumbering like a badger! You'll have to be faster."

Darkbreeze took a swipe at Cosmo's head. Fast as a snake, Cosmo fell into a crouch. He grabbed Darkbreeze's paw between his teeth, yanking her down onto her chest and settling his chest and forelegs onto her shoulders, keeping them pinned. "Was that fast enough for you?" he purred teasingly. Darkbreeze purred in response as well, lifting her muzzle to brush against his. Silentstorm fought back a wince; it had to be painfully obvious to every cat present what these two felt for each other. But Specklefoot just flicked her tail calmly, while Eeltooth and Chipmunk seemed more focused on their own training.

"Don't let it worry you."

Silentstorm started a bit at the sound of Specklefoot's mew. "Hmm? Let what worry me?" She tried to play innocent, doing her best to hide the uneasy prickling of her pelt.

Specklefoot wasn't fooled. "Darkbreeze and Cosmo," she said, in an almost stern tone, as though chiding Silentstorm for trying to fool her. "Don't worry about them. They're both grown cats, they can make their own choices."

"I wouldn't try to make their choices for them," Silentstorm protested. "I respect Darkbreeze, I trust her to do what's best for herself." She sighed. "I'm just worried that whatever choice comes next for her is going to hurt her, and Cosmo. I just don't want to see my best friend get her heart broken."

The ShadowClan warrior's tone grew softer with sympathy. "I can understand that," she mewed. She stretched out her legs in front of her, settling in to get more comfortable. "You know, before I met you, I would have glared at any warrior who looked at a kittypet that way, or any cat outside of their Clan," she mewed thoughtfully. "But since I met you, and Eeltooth and Darkbreeze... I don't know. I'd never really had that many close friends in ShadowClan, except for Dewfrost obviously. And now my closest friends are in other Clans. It's not something I ever would have seen coming, but it's better than just being lonely in ShadowClan." She gave a quick shake of her head. "What I'm saying is, I trust you. And I guess I figured out that the warrior code, and the boundaries between the Clans, they aren't quite as important as I thought." The warrior gazed back at the training cats, mewing, "I think the rest of our Clanmates are starting to figure that out too, now."

Silentstorm nodded, thinking about the dynamic of the stone barn. The Clans had been living together for almost five moons, some even longer than that. Even during the Great Journey, the Clans had never lived in such quarters together for such a long time. Though they had started being suspicious of each other, and uncomfortable sleeping next to enemy warriors, now Silentstorm had almost forgotten there were borders between them at all. The apprentices played together, the kits acted like littermates, the warriors hunted and joked. Mistystar had taken Sparktail, Hawkbriar and Tunnelshade hunting the other day, and Silentstorm thought she had heard Sparktail purring at a joke from Tunnelshade. It was getting hard to tell where one Clan ended and the other began. _What's going to happen when we go back to our own territories if we win?_ she wondered briefly.

After a moment, she shook the thought away, giving a small purr instead. "Well, I'm glad we're your friends," she mewed.

Specklefoot flicked her tail. "Yeah, well, someone has to keep the rest of you mousebrains from getting into too much trouble, she said in a playful growl, flicking her tail against Silentstorm's flank. "And I guess it's good that the chosen cat for StarClan's prophecy has friends in all four Clans. We wouldn't want our savior only to care about what happens to ThunderClan." There was a teasing edge to her mew.

Silentstorm flattened her ears. "I'm not just the chosen o-" she started.

"I know you're not," Specklefoot cut her off. "Trust me, you'd be feeling my paw up the side of your head if you ever acted like you were." Silentstorm's whiskers twitched. "I'm just saying, if StarClan had to choose a ThunderClan cat, I'm glad it was you."

Silentstorm paused, touched by the high praise from her friend. There was unease there too, and fear. _But StarClan didn't choose me,_ she though, fully aware that it had been Rock's vision that had led to the prophecy. _And I wish to StarClan that he hadn't seen me._

Suddenly, something clenched in her belly. Before she could so much as comment on it, a terrible pain racked through her whole body, her belly clenching and twisting, leaving her in agony. She scraped her claws against the stone, her jaws splitting in a wail of agony.

"Silentstorm!" Cats were at her side in an instant, the training session forgotten. Specklefoot was pressing against her side, keeping Silentstorm supported, while Darkbreeze was pressing her muzzle against her cheek, sniffing her all over. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Terror tore through her like lightning. _Am I dying?_ Then, suddenly, she understood. "It's the kits!" she gasped as pain racked through her again. "The kits are coming!"

She heard someone gasp. Then, Specklefoot was pushing her, forcing her onto her paws. "Come on," the ShadowClan warrior mewed firmly, keeping her cool. "We're not far from the stone barn. We need to get you there before the kits come – it's not safe out here."

Specklefoot and Darkbreeze stayed on either side of Silentstorm, helping the queen walk as they started back towards the stone barn. Chipmunk and Eeltooth stayed to the rear, looking for any dogs or twolegs who would be alerted by Silentstorm's wails, while Cosmo was at the front, leading the way. Silentstorm's mind was consumed by the pain that ripped through her, every hair on her pelt quivering in agony. _I've never felt anything like this,_ she thought with a burst of terror.

It didn't take them long to reach the stone barn. Somehow, they managed to get Silentstorm to leap up onto the window, guiding her carefully down. Cats were crowding all around, alerted by the queen's wailing. "Silentstorm!" The queen heard Lightfoot's gasp, and soon felt his nose pressing against her cheek and neck, his tone heavy with panic. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"Everyone, move!" The crowd began to part, and Silentstorm caught Leafpool and Finchwing's scents as the medicine cats reached her side. Willowshine and Dustpaw were quick to follow. Leafpool sniffed Silentstorm all over, confirming briskly, "The kits are coming. Come on we have to get you to your nest. Finchwing, support her. Let's get her to the nursery."

Specklefoot and Darkbreeze stepped back, letting Finchwing take over supporting Silentstorm. "You'll be alright, Silentstorm," Darkbreeze mewed as she leaned against the large tom. "We'll be here for you when it's over."

Lightfoot tried to follow as Silentstorm was led away, but Leafpool stepped in his path. "You can't come," she mewed firmly. "Medicine cats only. I'm sorry."

The tom hesitated, his pelt quivering in fear, before he took a step back, defeated. "I love you, Silentstorm!" he called to the queen as she was led away. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

Silentstorm wanted to call back to him, but another burst of pain came over her, making her yowl again. _Jayfeather, I wish you were here,_ she thought suddenly. She wanted more than anything for the grumpy medicine cat to be the one to help her through this. For a moment, she almost thought she caught his scent. Then, it was gone, and the pain took over again.

She was finally led through the entrance to the nursery, Finchwing supporting her until she could slither into her nest. Leafpool was there soon, joined by Willowshine and Dustpaw. "Mousebrain," Leafpool chided Silentstorm as the she-cat laid on her nest. "I kept telling you not to leave camp so often!"

"S-sorry," she gasped out, before another wail took over.

The medicine cat softened, her annoyance quickly spent. "It's okay, Silentstorm," she murmured. "It will all be over soon."

 **SCENEBREAK**

Silentstorm had no idea how long it was until her agonizing, exhausting ordeal was over. But finally, the pain was gone, leaving her aching all over. She lay in her nest, too exhausted to move. For several moments, she was lost in the haze of pain, too tired to even lift her head.

Then, a soft mewling alerted her. Silentstorm slowly lifted her head from her nest, sniffing in the direction of her belly. Two soft bundles of fur lay near her, squeaking and mewling as they tried to find the soft warmth of her belly. Even through her exhaustion, a fierce rush of love came over the new mother. She reached out her muzzle, rasping her tongue over the back of the larger kit. "Hello, daughter," she murmured, a weak purr escaping her. _I love you already,_ she thought, rasping her tongue over the smaller kit as well.

"Well done, Silentstorm." The new mother lifted her head, ears flicking towards Leafpool. "You have two healthy daughters."

From her own nest, Ambertalon mewed, "They look strong." The tiny queen was watching over her own daughter, who had learned how to crawl better and was watching Silentstorm and her new kits curiously. "Congratulations." Leafdrift mewed similar congratulations from her nest.

Finchwing approached her as well, tail sweeping behind him. "Lightfoot is asking about you," he said quietly. "Should I let him in?"

Silentstorm purred. She had missed Lightfoot through the birthing; she couldn't wait for him to meet their kits, and to be able to love them together. "Of course."

The tom paused for a moment, glancing at her kits with a purr. "I'm glad they were born healthy," he said after a moment. "I'm glad I could help."

Silentstorm was puzzled by the note of uncertainty in his tone. Her mind flashed back to Cloudtail's death, and how desperate the tom had been to save him. _Does he think that means he failed?_ she wondered. She gave a friendly twitch of her tail, murmuring, "You're a good medicine cat, Finchwing." The tom flicked an ear in surprise. "Remember that."

Finchwing hesitated, then mewed in a happier tone, "Thank you, Silentstorm." He turned and padded away, leaving the nursery behind. A few moments later, he returned, Lightfoot right behind him. The tom passed him the moment they were in the nursery, scampering to his mate's side. "Oh thank StarClan," he breathed, pressing his muzzle against Silentstorm's cheek and purring loudly. "You sounded like you were in so much pain, I wasn't sure..."

She lifted her muzzle, pressing it against his neck with a weak purr. "I know," she murmured. "But I'm fine." The queen pulled her muzzle back, mewing, "And so are our daughters."

Lightfoot's breath caught. He sat beside Silentstorm, gazing at the two kits by Silentstorm's side. Silentstorm used her muzzle to guide them to her belly, hearing their mewls fade as they began to nurse. "Oh Silentstorm," he breathed, lowering into a crouch to look at them better. "They're beautiful."

Silentstorm purred, rasping her tongue over one's back again. "What do they look like?" she asked her mate.

He was quiet for a moment. "The bigger one is a light brown tabby, close to my color," he told her. "She has a white mark on her throat like mine, broad at the top and coming to a point lower down on her chest. Her front legs and back legs are white, though they don't go up as high as mine. She also has a white muzzle, and the white stretches up past her eyes, narrowing to a stripe that looks a lot like yours." Silentstorm purred, touched to hear that one of her kits looked like her in that way. Lightfoot's gaze fell upon the smaller kit. He continued, "The second one is black, just like you, but without any white on her pelt at all. She's black from tail tip to nose tip. She looks about the normal size for a kit, and the other one looks a bit bigger."

Silentstorm pressed her nose against the fur of each daughter in turn, purring loudly. Though she couldn't quite imagine the kits in her mind, she knew the scent of their pelts, the sounds of their mews, and how they felt warm as they pressed their paws against her belly. And she knew that she loved them.

After a few moments, she asked, "Do you mind if I name them?" She had playing with names for her kits in her mind for moons, and with the kits born now, she had finally settled on two names.

Lightfoot purred, "Not at all. Go ahead."

Silentstorm nudged the larger kit with her nose, mewing, "This one will be Jaykit." She had known from the moment she was having kits that one of them would be named after Jayfeather. The medicine cat had been like a father to her, and his death had hit her hard. She wanted one of her daughters to carry his legacy, and to honor him.

Her mate gave Jaykit a gentle lick on her back. "The markings on her head almost look like Jayfeather's," he murmured to Silentstorm. The she-cat felt a thrill of joy, to think that her daughter looked like Jayfeather, and that Lightfoot had understood why she had named her that. She pressed her muzzle against his cheek for a moment, purring.

After a few moments, she pulled back, mewing, "And the second one will be Screechkit." Lightfoot flicked an ear in surprise.

"Screechkit it is then," he mewed. Silentstorm could hear a note of curiosity in his voice, but he didn't ask. She knew that no cat would ever understand why she had named her daughter Screechkit except for her. One kit had been named after a bird, a blue jay – the other would be after a bird too, a screech owl. But it went beyond that.

 _Only blind loyalty and silent sacrifice will save the Clans._ The prophecy called on her to sacrifice in silence, to walk a hard path alone and to make the most difficult choices that no one else could help her with. She had let her friends in on the secret of the prophecy, but even they didn't know the truth. She was the only one who could make the choice to save the Clans, and the loneliness and the fear of that decision haunted her.

She didn't want that for her daughters. Screechkit and Jaykit would live the lives of normal Clan cats. They would always know they had the support of their Clan, and that they would never have to make any decision alone, or stand in silence through any pain. Screechkit wouldn't be silent, she would speak, she would share with her Clan, she would yowl and screech her joy, not hiding in silence and fear like her mother had to. The same went for Jaykit – named after a cat of prophecy, like herself, but named by a cat who had always had the answers, who had always had his ancestors to guide him, and had always been loved. _StarClan, watch over my kits,_ she prayed silently, even though she knew they couldn't hear her very well. _Let them live like warriors, not like me._

"Jaykit and Screechkit," Leafpool murmured from where she sat. There was an odd hitch to her mew, something sad in her tone. Silentstorm knew that she was thinking of Jayfeather, and losing him. She hoped Leafpool didn't mind her naming her daughter after Leafpool's son. But there was no anger or judgment in her mew when she spoke again, only warmth. "Good, strong names."

Lightfoot lay next to Silentstorm, pressing his muzzle against her neck and watching their kits as they nursed. They lay like that for some time, until Silentstorm began to become more awake. The joy of her daughters being born had blotted out everything else, but now her other responsibilities and worries were starting to trickle back in. And the most important of which was something she'd heard when she was kitting; Mistystar calling a Clan meeting.

"I heard a Clan meeting being called," she murmured to Lightfoot, too low for the medicine cats to hear. "Did I miss anything important?"

Lightfoot nodded. "The leaders have decided the city cats have learned enough for a battle. We're going to attack Breeze's camp in five days' time."

Silentstorm stiffened in shock, stunned into full wakefulness. "Five _days?_ " Her mew had risen in volume, drawing the attention of some of the medicine cats and queens. She lowered it again as she realized, "That doesn't give us much time at all. We have to get Night and her allies here _now._ The Clans need to know about this in time for the battle."

"We were supposed to meet her later today," Lightfoot murmured. "She and her cats are probably going to be waiting soon. Do you want me to go talk to her?"

Silentstorm shook her head firmly. "No," she mewed, twining her tail with his. As important as this was, she didn't want Lightfoot away from her side right now, not when they were watching over their kits for the first time. "Not you. But maybe..." She thought for a moment, then gave a small nod. "Yes. Let's get family and friends in here. I have an idea."

Lightfoot seemed puzzled, but didn't argue. He called over Dustpaw, mewing, "Can you let our families in now?"

"And Darkbreeze," Silentstorm added before the apprentice could pad away.

Dustpaw seemed confused, but didn't argue as he began padding away, passing through the den's entrance. Not long after, he returned into the den, with Cinderheart, Lionblaze, Blazeheart, Darkbreeze, Sparktail, Molefoot, and Rosepetal in tow.

Blazeheart reached her first, purring loudly as he pressed his muzzle against her head. "I'm glad you're alright," he purred. Lionblaze and Cinderheart were right behind him, nuzzling their daughter and purring.

"Oh Silentstorm, they're so cute!" Darkbreeze cooed. She came to stand in front of Silentstorm, gazing down at the kits with clear glee. "Do they have names yet?"

"Yes," she mewed. "Jaykit and Screechkit."

Lionblaze pressed his muzzle against his daughter's ear, murmuring, "I know Jayfeather is watching over them, and he's as proud of you as we are." There was sadness in his mew as he spoke of his brother. Silentstorm knew that he probably missed Jayfeather the most besides her, other than Jayfeather's parents. But after a moment, the sadness was gone, replaced by pride again. "Well done, Silentstorm."

"Thanks," she mewed. "But I need to speak to Blazeheart and Darkbreeze really quickly, if that's alright?" Lionblaze shrugged, stepping back to allow his daughter privacy.

Blazeheart and Darkbreeze approached Silentstorm as she gestured them closer, seeming confused. "What's going on?" Blazeheart asked.

"This is about the meeting the leaders held," she murmured quietly to the two cats.

Darkbreeze gave a small nod. "We're attacking in five days," she recalled. "What do you want us to do?"

"Go to Night right now," Silentstorm explained. "It's time for the Clans to know about our allies – we can't wait any longer?"

Blazeheart and Darkbreeze shared an uncertain glance. "Are you sure she's ready for the Clans to know about her yet?" her brother asked. "She's come to trust us a lot, but you know she still resents the Clans a lot. And are we sure we can trust her campmates –"

"There's no time to ask that anymore," Silentstorm mewed firmly. "The only way this is going to work is if this happens _now._ " She softened her voice, pleading, "Please, I would go to her, but I can't. Please do this."

They only hesitated a moment more. "Of course we will, Silentstorm," Darkbreeze mewed, touching her nose to Silentstorm's shoulder. "We've invested our time and trust into this too – we want to see this work as much as you."

"I just hope Night agrees," Blazeheart mewed.

Silentstorm felt a rush of relief. "Go no," she mewed, sweeping her tail back across herself and her kits. "Once she's here, I'll explain it to the Clans."

Both cats dipped their heads to her, then turned to the rest of the family. "We're going to go find something fresh for Silentstorm to eat," Darkbreeze explained easily. "Come on, Blazeheart." After mewing quick farewells to the rest of the family, Blazeheart and Darkbreeze turned and padded away, leaving through the nursery's entrance.

Silentstorm breathed a sigh of relief. Now that her task was done, her weariness was starting to settle over her again. She leaned against Lightfoot, who still lay beside her, as she listened to the congratulations from her and Lightfoot's families. Even Sparktail was being pleasant, cooing over the kits just as much as the rest of them.

But even as she enjoyed the praise of her family, worry still reigned in her mind. Would Night really come back with Blazeheart and Darkbreeze? Could all of her campmates be trusted? Would the leaders accept their help?

Or had all of their work been for nothing?

* * *

Well, I hope this made up for the "Holy frick"ness of last chapter. We finally get to see Silentstorm's kits! :D Two daughters, Jaykit and Screechkit.

Jaykit won't be as big as her mother as an adult, but she'll be bigger than average, though not as bulky as her mother, more average in build. She will have her mother's gray eyes, though lighter (Silentstorm's eyes are pretty dark).

Screechkit will be average in size as an adult, and lithe (not as lithe as Blazeheart, but more than Lightfoot). She will have pale amber eyes, from her father's amber. ^^ I have posted pictures of the kits on my deviantArt account, Jayie the Hufflepuff, if you want to see them. :)

I hope those names and descriptions lived up to everyone's expectations. ^^ Pretty much everyone guessed that there would be a Jaykit. Originally, she was actually going to be a dark gray tabby with white and with amber eyes, but I decided that I wanted one of the kits to have Lightfoot's brown, and Silentstorm's eyes. No one guessed Screechkit's name, but I didn't except anyone would. ^^

We also learn that Darkbreeze is in love with Cosmo. I tried to hint at this relationship, I hope people picked up on this, so this doesn't seem like it's completely coming out of nowhere. I was actually originally going to put Darkbreeze with Quickhare, until I realized that they were niece and uncle. :P Which has been done in Warriors before *coughDustandFerncough* but I felt like I should look for another alternative first, so I stuck Quickhare with Honeyheart, and now Darkbreeze is in love with a kittypet. ^^ We'll have to see where that goes.

Next chapter will be in Blazeheart's POV.


	22. Chapter Twenty

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 5: Code of the Forest  
Chapter Twenty

Blazeheart and Darkbreeze left the stone barn behind, setting off for the usual meeting place with Night. Unease sat in Blazeheart's belly as they walked along, the setting sun casting long shadows over the thunderpaths. Everything was lit by with a deep amber glow from the sun's light; he could see the glow on the edge of Darkbreeze's outline, turning the tips of her fur to bright amber. As they walked along, he murmured to Darkbreeze, "Do you think that Night will really agree to come with us?"

The she-cat shrugged. "I don't know," she murmured in reply. "I think so. I hope so. I mean, I don't think she came all this way and spent all of this time working with us just to back out when it's time to tell the leaders."

Blazeheart shrugged. "I guess. But do you think we can really trust all of them not to tell Breeze where we're hiding?"

"In a little while, it's not going to be for us to decide anymore," Darkbreeze pointed out. "Once we tell them it'll be up to the leaders. No sense worrying about it anymore, I guess."

The tom gave a flick of his tail in acknowledgment, but he couldn't help but worry. They were risking a lot for the sake of these allies. And yet, he knew they needed them. He forced his worries back as he and Darkbreeze neared the blocks where they normally met Night and her rogues.

Night was waiting when they arrived, her amber eyes narrowed in displeasure. "You're late," she mewed pointedly as the warriors approached. Her campmates sat all around near her, looking up as the Clan cats arrived. As Night took in their uneasy expressions, her displeasure seemed to fade. "What is it?" she asked in a more serious tone. "What's happened? And where is Silentstorm?"

"Silentstorm is fine," Blazeheart was quick to assure her. "She's just had her kits, that's why she couldn't come."

Night's expression softened. "That's good," she murmured.

"But that isn't why we're here," Darkbreeze mewed urgently. "We need to take you back to our camp, all of you, right now."

Night stiffened, eyes flying open wide in alarm. Her campmates were staring at the warriors in surprise, murmuring to each other. "What's the rush?" Hurricane asked as he pushed himself to his paws. The large tom came to stand beside Night, unease in his gaze. "Did something happen?"

Blazeheart hesitated. Even after all this time, he was still uncertain about trusting these cats with the date of their attack on Breeze. After a moment, he said, "The leaders have decided that it's not long until our attack on Breeze. There isn't any more time; we have to tell the leaders about you now, so they can figure out their strategy for us all fighting Breeze."

Night hesitated, uncertainty flickering in her eyes. Some of her campmates were nodding, but a few looked uneasy. Strike rose to his paws, coming to stand before the Clan cats as he growled, "How do we know your Clans won't just kill us or drive us off? You cats are alright, but you're asking us to walk right into an enemy camp, completely outnumbered."

Blazeheart glared at the difficult tom. "It's a bit rich of you to be talking about the Clans not treating you fairly," he mewed stiffly. "You're the ones who attacked us first."

Strike pinned back his ears. "That doesn't mean you're any better than us," he sneered. "How do we know –"

Before he could finish his complaint, Lightning rose from the ground, coming to stand between Blazeheart and Strike. Though the she-cat looked delicate with her thin build and belly full of kit milk, the anger and defiance in her glare was fierce. "Mousebrain!" she hissed, lashing her thin tail as she glared at Strike. "We all knew this was going to end with the Clans learning about us. Why are you acting so surprised? You agreed to this when you agreed to come here with Night. Quit being such a kit about it."

Strike glared irritably at his campmate, but didn't argue further. From where he sat, Tigerlily growled, "She's right. We all agreed to this." She glanced at Blazeheart, adding, "And if the Clans are really like they say, then we won't have to worry. They have a code of honor."

"Just because they have rules doesn't mean they actually follow them," Drizzle pointed out, flicking his striped tail. "Or that their code is as honorable as they claim." He fixed the two warriors with a stern golden gaze. "I want Breeze brought to justice as much as any cat, but I want to make sure I'm fighting for the right side this time. I've been fooled once – I won't be fooled again."

Pine approached Drizzle, regret flickering in her amber gaze. "I turned on ShadowClan because I believed they had abandoned the code of honor they claimed to uphold," she rasped. "But I was wrong. The Clans are far from perfect, but they do have honor. None the leaders would order the death of cats who came to speak to them in peace. I can't say they'll be happy to see us, but they know that they need all the help they can get for this fight."

Drizzle's gaze flicked to Pine for several moments, before he glanced back at Blazeheart. "Very well," he murmured.

Blazeheart started to feel relief. _They're going to come with us._ Then, he noticed Night's dark expression, and the stiff set to her jaw. He shared an uneasy glance with Darkbreeze. "Night?" he mewed, approaching the black she-cat. "Are you in or not?"

She didn't look at Blazeheart, her gaze fixed on the ground, full of some distant emotion. "I can't help but think that, if someone in WindClan had done _something,_ if one cat had just given Breeze more encouragement, or had stepped in when Crowfeather was neglecting him, that my son wouldn't be the way he is today," she murmured. "He deserved better from me and Crowfeather, but he also deserved better from his Clan."

Before, Blazeheart had only had a mild disdain for the mother of Breeze. She had admitted her own guilt in what Breeze had become, and she had been one of the cats to help try to destroy the Clans, though he respected her for turning on her own son to put things right. But now that he had a daughter of his own, he was beginning to feel sympathy for Night. He already adored Wrenkit so much, he wanted so much happiness and love for her. He could imagine how easy it would be for a parent to try and give their kit as much love as they could without realizing how entitled and arrogant they were making them, and without seeing their faults until it was too late.

"Maybe that's true," Darkbreeze cut in before Blazeheart could reply. She had been the least willing to trust Night of them all at the start, but now she was looking at Night with something almost like sympathy. But there was a glare there as well, a look of stern judgment. "But being mistreated as a kit doesn't excuse becoming a murderer and a tyrant. He made his own choices."

Night looked away, causing Darkbreeze to give an irritated lash of her tail. "And even if you want to put the blame on the shoulders of cats like Ashstar and Onestar, who were in charge of the Clan but didn't put a stop to how Breeze was treated – what about the younger cats?" she asked pointedly. "There are warriors, apprentices, and kits in that Clan who weren't even alive when Breeze was exiled, or who were too young to do anything about it. Would you have them punished for the crimes of their elders?"

For a few moments, Night wouldn't look at any cat. Then, finally, she lifted her muzzle and gazed at Darkbreeze with such a storm of emotion in her eyes – longing, regret, love, and fear. Blazeheart couldn't imagine what she was thinking, facing the cat who was kin and yet loathed her for turning her back on her and her Clan. "You're right," she finally murmured. "I've known it since I came to talk to Silentstorm. I just didn't want to face the leaders again, after everything... but you're right."

She rose to her paws, drawing herself up with a determined glint to her eyes. "Let's go meet with the leaders."

 **SCENEBREAK**

Blazeheart held his breath as they neared the stone barn, with Night and all of her campmates in tow. The closer they got, the more apprehensive he became. What would the leaders say when they arrived in camp with some of the Clans' greatest enemies following behind? Would they even listen, or would they attack first? No – he trusted the honor of his leaders too much to believe that. But once they had listened, would they agree to ally with Night and her cats? Or would their work have been for nothing?

They finally came upon the stone barn, Blazeheart at the front and Darkbreeze guarding from the rear. The sun had set, but there was no cat on guard duty yet. Blazeheart leaped up first onto the window, hopping lightly down onto the stone floor below. Some of the cats were out of their dens, sitting around in various clumps on the ground while having their evening meals. A few looked up as Blazeheart entered the stone barn, meowing greetings.

Those greetings fell instantly silent as Night leaped down beside him, quickly followed by the rest of her campmates. Cats began to rise from where they sat, hackles rising and teeth flashing as they growled low in their throats. They began to close in on Night's campmates, tails lashing, while the campmates pressed against each other's pelts, watching the Clan cats warily. Darkbreeze was the last to enter the stone den, coming to stand at the front beside Night and Blazeheart with a determined expression. Out of the corner of his eye, Blazeheart noticed an apprentice slipping into the leaders' den.

Mallownose, who was one of the closest to the newcomers, took a step towards them with his hackles bristling. "Darkbreeze, Blazeheart, why have you brought these traitors to our camp?" the senior warrior demanded in a low growl.

"Mallownose, put your claws away," Larksong hissed, giving an irritated lash of her tail. "They could have brought them as prisoners."

The RiverClan tom snorted. "How would two warriors capture this many prisoners?" he questioned the gray she-cat.

"Besides, they don't look like prisoners," Rosepetal muttered, glaring at the newcomers with narrowed eyes.

She was right. Night's campmates were clearly uncomfortable, looking at the Clan cats warily and crowding together for safety, but they certainly didn't look like defeated prisoners. Night stood at Blazeheart and Darkbreeze's side. Wariness glittered her in eyes, but she held her head high, pride in the lash of her tail.

A few moments later, Aspenpaw emerged from the leaders' den, with all four leaders in tow. Blazeheart flinched at the cold anger in Mistystar's gaze, the stern set to Bramblestar's expression, and the raised hackles on Sedgewhisker and Tigerstar. The crowd parted to let the leaders approach Night and her campmates. Night stiffened as they approached, regret and anger flashing in her eyes in equal measure. But she held her tongue, simply watching as they came to stand before her.

"Well now, what's all this?" Mistystar asked. Her tone was cool, but it didn't fool Blazeheart for a moment – the RiverClan leader was furious. "Blazeheart, Darkbreeze, why have you brought these cats into our camp?"

Sedgewhisker glared at the black she-cat who stood beside Darkbreeze. "Night," she hissed, tail lashing. Though Blazeheart hadn't considered her to be a very confident leader in the past, there was no trace of that now. Sedgewhisker stood before Night with her back slightly arched, her tail held stiffly behind her, and her head raised with nobility and cold fury, making her look every inch the leader she was. "I never thought I'd see a traitor like you come crawling back here."

"Or my own traitors," Tigerstar growled, with a glare towards Pine, Snow, and Stone.

Blazeheart lowered his head, his pelt prickling with anxiety and shame as the leaders glared at him and Darkbreeze. But this was too important to let his anxiety and dislike of getting in trouble keep him silent. After sharing a brief glance with Darkbreeze, Blazeheart mewed, "They've come to speak with the four of you. Night and her campmates want to be our allies in the fight against Breeze."

"Oh, do they?" Mistystar said in an biting tone. Blazeheart couldn't help but flinch from the icy fury in her eyes. "And what makes you think you can trust her? You just led our greatest enemies to our camp!"

Blazeheart was opening his jaws to explain further when a weary mew cut him off. "I can explain, Mistystar." The tom looked up to see Silentstorm and Lightfoot emerging from the nursery. His sister looked completely exhausted, and had to lean on Lightfoot for support just to stay standing. But there was determined glow to her gray eyes as Lightfoot led her to stand between the leaders and Night's campmates. "This was my idea." Specklefoot came out of the crowd to stand beside her, as did Eeltooth.

Bramblestar's eyes narrowed. "It was, was it?" he mewed stiffly. His narrowed gaze swept across the warriors that stood together, cats of all four Clans coming together to challenge their leaders. "And why did you have the idea to bring enemy cats into our camp, which was meant to be hidden from them?"

Blazeheart could see the tip of Silentstorm's tail twitching, a subtle sign of her true anxiety, but other than that she didn't let on. "Night came to me a moon and a half ago," the she-cat explained in an even tone. Murmurs of surprise, and outrage, rippled through the crowd, but the queen didn't flinch. "She had seen me with Darkbreeze several times. She couldn't find Darkbreeze on her own, but she managed to pull me away from Lightfoot and Shadowstripe one day, and she figured if I was around Darkbreeze so much, we were friends and she could trust me."

Silentstorm flicked an ear towards Darkbreeze, explaining, "Night wanted to help defeat Breeze, but she was wary about approaching the Clan cats she betrayed. She only trusted her kin – and close friends of kin. She asked me to bring Darkbreeze to speak with her, and I did, along with a few other cats I trusted."

Night blinked, and Darkbreeze flicked an ear, clearly surprised. Blazeheart was just as surprised, but he did his best not to give it away. Why was his sister lying about why Night had really come to talk to her. Then, the obvious answer came to him – she still wanted to keep the prophecy a secret. She had made it sound like Night had come to speak to Darkbreeze because of their connection as kin, but had still placed the blame of trusting Night in the first place on her own shoulders.

Silentstorm continued to explain how they'd met up with Night, the reasons why the she-cat had decided to turn on her son, and why they had decided to keep it a secret from the leaders. "It was my fault," Night admitted, speaking at last. Her amber gaze still flickered with distrust, but she kept her tone even as she said, "I told Silentstorm and the others not to tell any other cat. I didn't trust the Clans yet, and I wanted to make sure I had a few warriors on my side before I or any of my campmates went near the rest of you. If they'd broken that agreement, I would have cut off communication entirely, and you wouldn't have these allies standing before you now."

"Night agreed to convince as many of her campmates to our side as she could," Silentstorm continued. "We met with her and her campmates in secret several times, meeting with them in the city, questioning her campmates about why they wanted to defeat Breeze, and working together with them on fighting moves and teaching them about the warrior code." She lifted her chin, telling the leaders clearly, "We have worked with these cats for over a moon and a half. I can vouch for their loyalty, or at least their common cause to ours. They want Breeze defeated just as much as we do, and they're willing to work with us to make that happen. We should make them our allies in this fight."

Silence reigned in the crowd now that Silentstorm's speech had come to an end. Cats had been jeering and growling before, but now they just watched in stunned silence. Eventually, all of their gazes flitted to the leaders, waiting to see what they would say.

Tigerstar was still glaring at his former Clanmates, while Bramblestar was glaring with narrowed eyes at Silentstorm. Sedgewhisker was giving a pointed glare to Darkbreeze, who stared back evenly. Only Mistystar wasn't glaring; she was staring at Silentstorm with annoyance in her gaze, but also something thoughtful. "You should have come to us, Silentstorm," she said in a clipped tone. It sounded less angry than before, but still cool in tone. "This wasn't your decision to make. What if they had gone back to Breeze told him that there were Clan cats in the city, and he had launched an attack? You risked the safety of every cat here."

Silentstorm dipped her head. "I know," she mewed carefully. "But I honestly thought this was our best chance at winning this battle – we need more cats if we're going to win. And I knew if Night realized I had told the Clans about her, she would leave. I did what I thought was best for the Clans."

"We were careful," Eeltooth spoke up gruffly, standing strong by his friends as he spoke to his leader, calm determination in his gaze. "We never met them near the camp, and we spoke with each cat carefully."

Darkbreeze mewed steadily, "We worked with them individually to try and work out their reasons for turning on Breeze, and to make sure we could trust them."

Specklefoot added, "We did what we thought was best to help our Clans."

Lightfoot hadn't spoken yet; he was still as shy and uneasy around large groups as ever. But now, as he helped keep his mate standing, he looked up at the leaders and mewed, "Punish us if you want." His words were still spoken in a low mumble, but he didn't waver. "But I really think that we should take these cats as our allies. It might be the difference between winning our homes back and being destroyed."

For a few moments, the leaders didn't speak. Sedgewhisker's hackles were bristling, but she looked away from Night long enough to glance questioningly at the other leaders. Tigerstar was glaring at Night's campmates with a low growl in his throat, but Bramblestar and Mistystar were looking thoughtful. After a few moments, Mistystar mewed stiffly, "We will speak with Night in our den. Everyone else, stay out here and keep an eye on the others."

Bramblestar added, "We'll talk about what we're doing with you," glaring pointed at Silentstorm and her friends, "later."

Alarm flashed in Night's eyes, but it was soon gone. As Hurricane took a protective step in front of her, she stepped out from behind him, giving a small shake of her head. "It's alright," she meowed clearly to all of her campmates. "I'll speak with them." All four leaders waited as she approached, then began to lead her towards the leaders' den. They disappeared together into the den, leaving the Clan cats alone with Night's campmates.

For a few moments, no cat spoke. Then, Olivenose stepped out of the crowd, approaching the newcomers. "They might be a while," she said stiffly, her amber eyes narrowed as she glanced at her former Clanmates. "No point in standing around here waiting for them. Let's get these cats somewhere where we can keep an eye on them, until the leaders decide what to do next."

"We're not going to hurt anyone, or run away," Drizzle mewed stiffly.

Heathertail came to stand beside her fellow deputy, growling, "You helped Breeze try to destroy us, and some of you hurt and killed the cats we care about. Forgive us for not being so trusting." She glanced at Olivenose, mewing, "We can probably have them stay near one of the far walls, with a few warriors to guard them. The rest of the cats can go back to what they were doing – except a certain few." Her narrowed glare fell on Darkbreeze, who looked back at her mother with a defiant air.

"That should work," Olivenose agreed. She and the other deputies all came together for a few moments, before calling out names of warriors who would keep an eye on Night's campmates. A few warriors escorted the newcomers to a far wall, letting them lie on the dusty stone floor. Blazeheart noticed Pine and Snow glance at Marshcloud as the newcomers passed her. Pine mewed something to her, but Marshcloud jerked away with a hiss, whirling away and stalking off through the crowd. Hurt sparked in Pine's eyes, but after a few murmured words from Snow, she turned away with a sigh and followed after her campmates. With a start, Blazeheart remembered that Marshcloud was Snow's daughter, and Pine's younger sister. _This must be so much harder for the ShadowClan cats,_ he thought, glanced curiously at Specklefoot. _To us, these cats are just enemies, but to them some are family who betrayed them._

Silentstorm and her friends stayed where they were, kept in place by the stern glare of Reedwhisker. Once Night's campmates were situated, the deputies all turned to them. "Now for you cats," Heathertail growled, narrowing her eyes.

Blazeheart lowered his head, feeling shame wash over him, but not regret. He knew he had done what was best for his Clan – he just wished it hadn't involved so much sneaking around and lying. "No prey tonight, I think," Squirrelflight mewed stiffly. "And you'll stay confined to the stone barn in the morning until we can figure out whatever other punishment is coming."

Silentstorm had been strong in front of the leaders, but now her weariness was becoming clear. She was leaning more heavily against Lightfoot, struggling to keep her eyes open. Squirrelflight's gaze flitted over to her, and her stern gaze softened a little. "Except for you," she mewed gruffly. "You can eat – but only because you just had your kits. You'll need the energy."

The blind she-cat sagged in relief. "Thank you," she muttered, clearly already half-asleep. With a nod from Squirrelflight, Lightfoot began to lead his mate away, letting her lean against him as he took her back towards the nursery.

 **SCENEBREAK**

The leaders were in their den with Night for quite some time. Most of the cats had finished their evening meals, and some had even already withdrawn to their nests for sleep. But most cats had stayed awake, eager to hear what the leaders' decision would be.

Blazeheart was sharing tongues with Ambertalon when the leaders finally emerged from their den, Night trailing behind them. Every cat looked up, silence instantly falling over the crowd. Cats began to rise, gathering around the overturned block as Mistystar leaped on top of it. Blazeheart and Ambertalon joined them, coming to stand beside Cinderheart.

"We have decided to make Night and her campmates our allies in the fight against Breeze," Mistystar announced after every cat was gathered. Stunned murmurs swept through the crowd, but not every cat seemed surprised. Cinderheart was nodding slowly, her expression thoughtful, and nearby Swanfall had an excited gleam in her eyes.

Mistystar continued, "Night and her cats will stay with us tonight and the night after, and will work together with some of our warriors in training sessions. After that, they will return to Breeze's camp, so they can be ready to turn on him when we make our attack."

"But what if they warn Breeze about the attack, or lead cats here to attack the queens and elders while we've left them undefended?" Buffy called out, throwing a glare towards Night.

"It's a risk we're going to have to take," Sedgewhisker answered the warrior. Her jaw was clenched as she added, "I'm not entirely happy about this decision, but we would be foolish to turn away aid for this fight."

Bramblestar glanced at the warriors who were keeping watch over Night's campmates. "Emberfoot, you and the others can make nests for these cats in the leaders' den," he ordered. "We will sleep in the warriors' den until they have gone. We'll have a guard assigned to their den, just in case." Emberfoot looked surprised, but dipped his head obediently.

Tigerstar lifted his head. "For the next two days, we will prepare with our new allies. And in five days' time, we make our attack," he growled. Mistystar waved her tail, a clear sign that the meeting was over. Most of the cats began moving back towards their dens, chattering with fear and excitement to each other. A few of the warriors that the leaders had assigned to the newcomers began moving towards the leaders' den, while the others stayed to keep an eye on them.

Blazeheart felt a rush of relief. Whatever punishment came next for him and the others, their plan had worked. The Clans had new allies, and their last moon and a half of work had not been in vain.

He just hoped that they had been right, and that Night and her campmates truly could be trusted. If they betrayed the Clans to Breeze, the Clans were doomed.

* * *

Wow, there's only six chapters left. O.O That's kind of crazy.

Anyway, I have a class starting in seven minutes, so I'm gonna keep this brief. Yay, the Clans finally know about Night, and the leaders have agreed to work with them. We'll have to see what the results of this are. Not much longer to go. ^^

Next chapter will be in Blazeheart's POV.


	23. Chapter Twenty One

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 5: Code of the Forest  
Chapter Twenty One

"Blazeheart?"

The tom groaned, blinking groggily, only for his eyes to fly wide open as he was greeted by a small tortoiseshell face a whisker's length from his muzzle. "Mroww!" he exclaimed in surprise, scrambling back in his nest.

Duskpaw was standing in front of Blazeheart's nest, her eyes bright with mischief. "Good, you're awake," she mewed, whiskers twitching.

Blazeheart tried to regain his composure, sitting up and shaking some of the moss from his pelt. "Do you have to do that?" he grumbled, twisting around to lick smooth his ruffled pelt. "I actually like getting to sleep every now and then without some apprentice trampling all over me."

The small tortoiseshell didn't seem fazed by the grumbling of her mentor. "I got bored," she mewed, unconcerned. She reached out a paw to nudge Blazeheart, mewing, "Come on! The other cats have been up for _ages_ , and the rogues are going to start their training soon!"

Even though he feigned annoyance, Blazeheart couldn't help but be amused by his apprentice's enthusiasm. He had only been training her for ten days, but Duskpaw had already proved to be an fierce, mischievous, and eager-to-learn apprentice with a cheerful energy that far outpaced her mentor's more calm demeanor. Blazeheart often struggled to keep up with her torrent of questions and her tendency to take off running instead of thinking things through, but she was clearly determined to learn everything she could to be good warriors. Once she actually calmed down enough to listen, she was quick to pick things up. She had already made her first catch, a mouse foraging among some twoleg debris, and Blazeheart was planning to start her on battle training soon.

"I can't leave camp today, remember?" he told the apprentice as he rose to his paws. "I can't take you training today." He felt a flicker of guilt at the memory of the deputies' clear disapproval, and their punishment for the warriors who had been working in secret with Night and her campmates.

Duskpaw's whiskers twitched. "Because you were sneaking out to train them behind everyone's back," she reminded her mentor smugly. Blazeheart winced – he could already tell from the mirth sparking in Duskpaw's eyes that he was never going to live that down. If he ever tried to rebuke her to listen to her elders, and follow the rules, that she would throw this right back in his face. "And it doesn't matter. The leaders aren't letting Night and her campmates leave camp to train, so we can just join their training session. Can we, please?" Her tail waved with cheerful energy, her eyes bright with excitement. "I want to meet these cats and see what they're like!"

Blazeheart was starting to feel more awake now at the prospect of actually getting to do something that day. "Sure, why not?" he mewed. He fixed Duskpaw with a stern gaze, adding, "But no pestering them with questions, alright? They're here to train, not to entertain nosy apprentices."

"But they're also here to bond with Clan cats, so we don't hate their guts so much when we have to fight together, right?" Duskpaw pointed out with a cheeky lash of her tail. "I mean, isn't that why the leaders want us spending time with them?" Blazeheart didn't answer, just keeping his stern glare on his apprentice. Duskpaw sighed. "Fine. Training first, questions later."

Blazeheart glared at his apprentice a few moments longer, before finally realizing that it was the best he was going to get from the excitable she-cat. With a sigh, he started for the den's entrance, Duskpaw trotting right after him.

When they left the warrior's den behind and entered the main part of camp, Blazeheart saw Night and her campmates sitting with the deputies, talking to them quietly, with several warriors and apprentices gathered nearby. They looked up briefly as Blazeheart and Duskpaw approached. "Is it alright if my apprentice and I join in?" he asked, gesturing towards Duskpaw.

Squirrelflight narrowed her eyes for a few moments before mewing, "Fine. But Buffy is in charge of this training session, not you and your friends - listen to her orders."

As the mentor and apprentice dipped their heads obediently, Stone blinked. "Who's Buffy?" he asked, sounding baffled.

The she-cat in question stepped out of the crowd, coming to stand beside her deputy. "I am," she said in a clipped mew, her blue eyes narrowed. "I'm a ShadowClan warrior."

Stone's eyes widened, and Pine and Snow shared a baffled glance. "ShadowClan?" Stone repeated in confusion. "But –"

Buffy cut him off, as though he hadn't started speaking. "I was a kittypet, until I was recruited by Tigerstar after you and your _friends,_ " she growled with a pointed glare at Pine and Snow, "were exiled and left ShadowClan with too few cats to survive leafbare."

"Buffy is one of our toughest warriors." Blazeheart nearly jumped – he hadn't heard Tigerstar approaching. The massive tabby was glaring down at Stone, Pine, and Snow as he came to stand beside Buffy. "She, her kits, and her fellow kittypets have been truer warriors than some I could name. You're going to have to work with a ShadowClan that's over half kittypet now." His amber glare challenged his former Clanmates to object. "Got a problem with that?"

Stone's eyes were wide with alarm as the massive tom growled at him. His gaze flitted uncertainly to Buffy for a moment. Blazeheart knew what he was thinking, as he had thought much the same thing when he'd first met Buffy – with a kittypet's name, her soft pelt, and her unusual markings, she looked nothing like a warrior. But he had known the she-cat long enough to know that her thick pelt hid hard muscle, gained from moons of being in the Clan, and her sharp wit and sharper tongue made her the match of any warrior. "N-no, no problem," Stone finally stammered at Tigerstar. Pine and Snow nodded their agreement.

Tigerstar aimed a final glare their direction, before turning and padding away. The deputies resumed picking cats for the training session. Blazeheart and Duskpaw were set to work with Lightning, and he saw Specklefoot and Dewfrost being paired up with Strike, while he had spotted Darkbreeze heading towards the elder's den, apparently planning to spend the day helping them.

As the training session was just about to get underway, Blazeheart heard the thud of paws landing on the stone floor, and a call from a cat near the broken window. "The city cats have arrived!" Rizzo had leaped down from the window, quickly followed by the rest of the city cats. Blazeheart noticed Darkbreeze poke her head out of the elder's den, emerging a moment later with a purr to greet Cosmo.

Night turned to look at the city cats, clearly confused, while her campmates murmured their confusion behind her. "Who are these cats?" she asked Squirrelflight.

Squirrelflight opened her jaws to answer, but Rizzo beat her to it, having reached the gathered cats. "I'm Rizzo, and these are some of my fellow city cats," she mewed briskly. Her narrowed green gaze swept over Night and her Clanmates, her expression thoughtful. "We got word from some of the warriors that we had some new allies for the fight. I'm guessing you're them."

Night blinked. "Yes," she mewed, clearly trying to cover her confusion. "We are. And you... you're allies to the Clans as well?" She threw Squirrelflight and the other deputies a questioning glance. "I wasn't aware that Clan cats allied themselves with kittypets." She sounded surprised, with something of a sneer in her tone. Tansy and Sparrow glanced over at the city cats, flicking their ears forward in friendly interest towards the kittypets, while Hurricane cast a reproachful glance towards .

"Times have changed," Olivenose grunted. "And so have the Clans." She glanced at Rizzo, who gave a proud flick of her tail. "Any cat who is willing to fight to get us our home back is a worthy ally."

After a moment, Night dipped her head. "I certainly have no room to judge any cat anymore," she murmured. She looked up at Rizzo, mewing clearly, "I'll be glad of any cat's help that I can get to stop Breeze from hurting any more cats."

Rizzo gave a firm nod. "Glad to hear it."

 **SCENEBREAK**

The training session began not long after that. Many cats seemed uneasy to be working with their former enemies, but most went along without complaint. Olivenose practiced with Night herself, and wasn't holding back. Hurricane practiced with Pondbreeze and his apprentice Cloudpaw, seeming to impress the young warrior with his skill.

Tigerlily and Tansy were working with ShadowClan warriors, while Sparrow and Strike were paired with WindClan cats, Drizzle working with ThunderClan warriors. Blazeheart noticed that none of the former ShadowClan cats were working with ShadowClan warriors. No ShadowClan cats seemed to want to have anything to do with their former Clanmates, avoiding them as they trained and hurrying away quickly if they came near them.

Since Blazeheart had already worked with Lightning before, he decided to let Duskpaw work with the queen. It was the apprentice's first training session, so he and Lightning ran her through the basics, Lighting even teaching her a few basic moves that she had learned as a rogue.

"Wow!" Duskpaw exclaimed as Lightning showed her a rogue fighting move. Her eyes were wide with excitement. "You know a lot about fighting! Do you really have to fight other rogues over prey? Are rogue kits left to fend for themselves when they're old enough? Do you really eat rats?"

"Duskpaw!" Blazeheart hissed in warning. The apprentice fell silent, and the warrior glanced anxiously at Lightning, hoping the queen wouldn't be offended. But Lightning's brown eyes were glittering with amusement, not anger. For how young Lightning was, there was already something very hard and stern about her. It was unusual, but nice, to see her being lighter and more friendly with the young apprentice.

She told Duskpaw, "I'm not exactly a rogue anymore – we live in a group now, under Breeze's leadership, so I guess we're not exactly rogues. But no, I don't have to fight cats over prey, unless one of Breeze's guards gets really angry with one of us. I can't speak for all rogue kits, but my parents never left me to fend for myself – not that they were all that fussed about me. Sol cared more about sucking up to Breeze and lording it over the other cats than some kit bumbling around his paws, and Storm was never the most devoted mother. I think she cared more about pleasing Sol than she ever did about me."

Resentment flickered in Lightning's eyes for a moment, but it was gone as fast as it came. "And I think _you're_ more like the one to be eating rats than us right now," she added, poking the apprentice with one paw, whiskers twitching. "You live in the city, after all."

Duskpaw ducked away from her paw, whiskers twitching in amusement. "We've had a few rats," she admitted. "But there's other prey around here too. What kind of prey do you guys eat?"

Lightning glanced at Blazeheart. "Whatever we can catch. Mostly rabbits, since we're on the moor. Mice, birds, squirrels – a few of the cats can catch fish." Blazeheart caught a note of apology in her tone – the prey she was talking about was caught in what was rightfully Clan territory. But he didn't react, simply flicking his tail in acknowledgment. "I've been staying in the horseplace with my kits, so I eat a lot of mice, and sometimes the twolegs there leave out food."

Blazeheart's ears flicked forward in interest. "You're staying at the horseplace? I thought you all had one camp."

"We do," Lightning mewed. "But Breeze decided the queens and kits wouldn't be safe there, so he made the horseplace the new nursery." Her gaze darkened for a moment as she added, "I know my kits will never be safe as long as we live under Breeze's control, but at least the horseplace is better than having my kits around all of those guards all the time. I live there, and Redwood's mate Dotty has been there for about a moon. And so is –"

"Alright, we're going to switch it up now!" Reedwhisker called from where he and the other deputies were surveying the training session, interrupting Lightning. Every cat stopped fighting at once, looking over at the black tom. "Warriors, find a new rogue to work with. We want everyone to get a chance to work with our new allies – we'll switch again in a little while."

Blazeheart called Duskpaw to him, then set off, looking for another one of Night's campmates to practice with. He quickly settled on Tansy, introducing his apprentice briefly to the former kittypet. Tansy gave a terse nod in greeting. Even though she used to be a kittypet, and there was still something of that softness in her pelt and her mew, she was hard and stern in nature.

All around them, cats were pairing up with Night's campmates again. Blazeheart saw Little Whiskers and Daffodil approached Hurricane. Little Whiskers seemed shy around the big, shaggy-pelted tom, but Daffodil gave him a bold, friendly greeting, seeming unfazed by his size. Cosmo and Darkbreeze had thrown themselves into the mix too, choosing to work with Drizzle. Blazeheart recalled that he had seen Cosmo and Darkbreeze training together several times, and that their pelts seemed to brush whenever they were near each other – was there something more between the two of them?

Of course, once they'd jumped back into training, Duskpaw started up with the questions again. "Blazeheart told me you used to be a kittypet. Is that true? Do you really eat food that looks like rabbit droppings? Do you let twolegs stroke you and pick you up and keep you in their den all the time? Is it boring?"

Tansy seemed less receptive of the flood of questions than Lightning, but she still answered as she corrected Duskpaw's front paw strike. "I was a kittypet, yes," she answered in a clipped mew. "It may look like droppings, but it's actually not that bad. Just a bit dry – the wet stuff is better. And yes, my twolegs stroked me and kept me in their den. But they were kind." For a moment, sadness glowed in her blue eyes.

Duskpaw seemed to notice it too. "Will you go back to them when this is over?" she asked curiously. Blazeheart gave an annoyed lash of his tail, hoping the apprentice would stop before she said something that truly offended Tansy or made her angry. Duskpaw ignored him, apparently waiting for Tansy to answer.

The former kittypet took a few moments to answer. "Yes," she finally mewed. "If I can, if I live, I think I'll go back to them." She narrowed her eyes. "I only left them because Sol told me about the great injustices the Clans committed against kittypets and other cats near the lake. I only intended to stay with Breeze long enough to help him win his home back, but once the Clans escaped, he wouldn't let me or the other cats leave."

"Why didn't you just escape?" the bold apprentice asked. She flashed out her front paw, trying the strike again. "It seems like he lets you leave the camp.

Tansy shrugged. "I suppose I could have escaped, but I couldn't well leave my campmates to their fates. The only way for any cat to live in peace at the lake is for Breeze to be gone. Only then can I go home." Her gaze grew sad again for a moment. "I just hope they haven't forgotten me and gotten a new kittypet."

"I don't think they would forget so quickly," Duskpaw assured the kittypet. "Not if they really care about you." Blazeheart glanced curiously at his apprentice for a moment, but didn't speak. Tansy actually managed to keep Duskpaw silent for some time by showing her a new move, to the apprentice's delight. They practiced until the deputies called out for another switch.

As Duskpaw returned to Blazeheart's side, he murmured quietly to her, "Do you still remember your mother?" He knew it was a very personal question, but Duskpaw's comment about not forgetting quickly had made him curious.

Duskpaw glanced at her mentor. For a moment, sadness dampened the usual gleam in her eyes. "Sort of," she admitted quietly. "I remember her scent, and the sound of her voice, but the rest has started to fade." After a moment, she gave a fierce shake of her head, forcing a cheerful tone again. "Well, she's safe in StarClan, and I'm still lucky. I have my Clan, and I have Silvershine, and Grasspelt."

Blazeheart glanced at his apprentice in surprise. He knew that Silvershine had looked after Blossomfall's kits after their mother had died, but he hadn't realized how close their relationship had grown, if Duskpaw still relied on them after leaving the nursery. "You care about Silvershine that much?" he mewed, more blunt than he'd meant to be.

Duskpaw looked at him for a few moments. "I can barely remember any mother other than her," she mewed clearly to her mentor. "And she loves us as much as any mother ever has. I know I can always talk to her. Even if I can't remember Blossomfall very well, I still have a mother." She gave a quick shake, her tone brisk again. "Come on, all the good rogues will be taken if we don't hurry!" She didn't wait for her mentor to follow her before she trotted off, approaching Hurricane. Blazeheart followed after her quickly, thinking about what his apprentice had said. He joined her with Hurricane, and as the rogue tom began to show Duskpaw a few fighting moves, he settled back for a moment to watch the training session.

Lightning and Sunnyflower were working together very well, the she-cats ducking and whirling as they battled. Sedgewhisker had decided to join the training, practicing with Night. She seemed loathe to trust her former Clanmate, but trained with her without complaint, proving a powerful opponent. Tigerstar had joined her as well, the two leaders working together to fight against Night like lifelong Clanmates. Little Whiskers and Daffodil were working together to fight Drizzle, darting in and out to confound the tom. Finstrike was demonstrating a strike for Snow, while Tigerlily was explaining a battle move to Dewfrost, who listened with interest. All around him, the Clan cats seemed to slowly be getting used to the presence of Night's campmates. Though not friendly or welcoming, they at least weren't glaring openly at their former enemies.

Blazeheart was starting to believe that this might actually work, and that these cats could really fight side by side when the day came. He knew without question that the Clans could work together to fight their enemy – if the Clans were so close that a ThunderClan apprentice could consider a RiverClan queen her mother, then warriors of any Clan could fight side by side like Clanmates. But a shadow of worry hung over his mind – tomorrow, they would send Night and her campmates back to Breeze's camp, this time with the full knowledge of how many cats they had on their side, when the attack would come, and where the Clans made their camp. Would they prove faithful to the Clans after all?

Or would they prove their allegiance to Breeze, and bring about the end of the Clans once and for all?

* * *

Well, only five chapters left to go you guys! :D And I get the feeling that these chapters will not take long to write. ^^

Yeah, this chapter isn't the most exciting, and it feels mostly "eh" to me. It's nice to finally start showing some of Duskpaw's personality, though. ^^ But the rest was kind of hard to write and feels "eh". Ah well. The next few chapters should come easier.

Next chapter will be in Blazeheart's POV.


	24. Chapter Twenty Two

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 5: Code of the Forest  
Chapter Twenty Two

It was time.

Blazeheart stood beside Ambertalon, waiting in hushed silence of the stone barn. The Clan cats and city cats alike had gathered before the overturned block, waiting as their leaders named the cats who would be on the patrol to attack Breeze's cats.

Five days had passed since Silentstorm had given birth to her kits. In those days, both Silentstorm and Ambertalon had thrown themselves into the battle training with Night and her campmates, trying to get back the skill and strength they'd had before resting for moons in the nursery.

After days of practice and training, they had convinced the leaders to let them join the patrol to attack Breeze's camp. Ambertalon was standing beside Blazeheart now, pressing her pelt against his, while Silentstorm stood among her friends, Darkbreeze and Nightfern beside her with Specklefoot and Eeltooth nearby. Honeyheart's kits hadn't been born yet, but her milk had come, so she had agreed to nurse and look after Jaykit, Screechkit, and Wrenkit during the battle.

"I hate to leave her," Blazeheart murmured to his mate, casting a glance back at the nursery. Wrenkit had begun to learn how to walk, and was talking and playing. The thought of leaving her behind for at least a day, to face danger that they might not return to her from, made his heart ache.

Ambertalon sighed. "I know," she murmured, pressing against his pelt. "But our Clan needs us. Honeyheart will take good care of her, and I'm definitely not staying behind while my Clanmates risk their lives in this fight?'

Blazeheart felt a tremor of fear for his daughter's sake. "And what if we don't come back?" he whispered.

For several moments, Ambertalon said nothing. "Then she will grow up safe, knowing that her parents died with honor, trying to protect her." She was trying to sound brave, but the crack in her mew told Blazeheart that she was just as scared of leaving Wrenkit as he was. Blazeheart laid his chin over her head, saying nothing as Ambertalon leaned against him, each cat thinking grimly of the battle to come.

Finally, the leaders, Rizzo standing among them, finished their list of who was staying and who was coming. Breeze's campmates had been sent back to their camp days ago, so they weren't in the crowd, but every other cat was. Pretty much every able-bodied cat was assigned onto the patrol – even the very newest apprentices were coming along. Russetpaw, Foxpaw, Flintpaw, and Shardpaw had only been assigned their mentors two days ago, and they were still coming with the patrol, though Sedgewhisker had ordered them to stick close to the medicine cats and just search the battlefield for wounded warriors to bring to them. Russetpaw was talking quietly to her mentor Ripplewing, while Foxpaw was staying close to Skystripe's paws, eyes wide. Flintpaw and Shardpaw were sitting close together, looking like reflections of the same cat, while Gorsetail and Nightfern murmured last-minute battle advice to them.

"Good luck," Blazeheart heard Leafdrift murmur to Pondbreeze, brushing her muzzle against his. Some of the queens, like Mintleaf and Ambertalon, had chosen to accompany the patrol to Breeze's camp, but most had decided to stay with the kits, including Floss. Little Whiskers and Daffodil, however, were going to fight with the Clans. Little Whiskers seemed scared, but determined as he said his farewells to his mother, and Daffodil had a fierce glint in her eyes as she joined her mentor's side, her claws sliding. All of the elders were staying behind, except for Toadfoot, who had begged the leaders to let him come. "I'm not so old that I can't fight anymore," the tom had rasped. "And... these cats killed my sister. I have to avenge her." Currently, the dark brown elder was standing beside Birchfall, the two toms almost looking like brothers as they murmured battle strategies to each other.

Blazeheart felt his heart clenched as he gazed back at the cats staying behind. There were so few of them staying, and mostly of them were too young or too old to really defend themselves. If an attack from Breeze's cats really did come, they wouldn't have a prayer.

Finally, Mistystar called, "It's time." The fur along Blazeheart's spine began to rise eerily. The warriors murmured their final farewells to those staying behind, then the leaders began to lead them to the broken window. One by one, the Clan cats streamed out of the stone barn, gathering on the flat stone beside the barn, until every cat was through. Once they were all out, the leaders began leading them away from the barn, and into the alleys of the city.

Duskpaw had been talking with her littermates and Silvershine before they left, but as the Clans started off through the city, she fell in beside Blazeheart. "I can't wait to tear the fur off those cats," she growled, flashing her fangs.

Blazeheart flicked his tail-tip against her flank, glancing sternly at his apprentice while Ambertalon's whiskers twitched. "You won't be tearing the fur off of anybody," he mewed firmly. "You're going to stay right by your littermates and do what Bramblestar told you." Since Blossomfall's kits had only been training for half a moon, Bramblestar had decided they would be the ones to travel to the Horseplace and alert Lightning to the battle, and help keep the kits and queens safe. If any of the queens attacked them, Lighting would help.

"Well, if any of those queens attack, I'll claw their fur out," Duskpaw snorted.

Blazeheart shared an uneasy glance with Ambertalon. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that," was all Blazeheart said in reply. He tried not to show it, but he was more worried about his apprentice than he would admit to her. She had only been training for half a moon, and while she had picked up the basics of fighting well enough, she was still far too small and far too inexperienced to last long in a battle with an experienced fighter. It would be so easy for one of Breeze's guards to overpower and kill her. He just hoped that he had taught her enough to defend herself, and that he would live to teach her more.

They had to cross several thunderpaths to reach the edge of the city, but by this point the Clans were far more accustomed to safely crossing thunderpaths. They did it in groups, cats keeping watch to see if monsters were coming. This slowed them down considerably – they had left before dawn, but it was nearly sunhigh by the time they finally passed beyond the city borders, and reached the forest at last.

Blazeheart felt oddly uneasy as they passed into the treeline. He had missed the forest more than anything. It was his home. But now, he found himself looking around warily, flinching at the sounds of things rustling in the trees, and how the grass rustled. They were in the pine forests near ShadowClan territory, so Blazeheart tried to tell himself that it was just unease in another Clan's territory. But he knew it was untrue, from the uneasy murmurs of all the cats around him.

The Clans had been in the city for almost four moons, without so much as stepping into the forest again. The harsh scents, flat dull stone, and roar of monsters and twolegs, had become more familiar to them than their true home. Blazeheart began to feel almost panicked, wondering if the forest would ever feel like home again – even if they beat Breeze and his cats, had they lost their home after all?

"It'll be okay." Blazeheart glanced at Ambertalon. The she-cat looked as uneasy as he did, but she pressed her muzzle against his neck for a moment, her tone more certain than she looked. "We're used to the city now, but it's just because we've been there for a while. Once we've been back in the forest for long enough, it'll feel like home again."

Blazeheart sighed, brushing his muzzle against her head. "I hope you're right," he murmured. "I just don't want to walk back into camp and feel like a stranger there. It will just make what the rogues did to us all the worse."

Ambertalon gave a humorless rasp of laughter. "Let's worry about winning this battle first, before we go worry about what comes after," she pointed out.

The tom gave a small nod. "You're right," he said quietly. But her words had just made him think about the battle to come again, and whether they would survive it.

But there was one cat who seemed happy enough to be in the forest. Oak was walking a bit ahead of Blazeheart and Ambertalon, with Chipmunk trailing beside the larger tom. The rouge was telling Chipmunk, "I like visiting my friends in the city, but it's always great to get back to the forest. I feel so much freer out here." He certainly seemed at ease, his ears perked and his tail swishing in a slow, contented rhythm behind him. "There's something much more peaceful about being away from the twolegs and their monsters."

Chipmunk was glancing around, his pelt fluffed out with uneasy, but his expression curious. "It's definitely different from the city," he mewed. "But it's not that bad out here." He glanced at Oak, his expression brightening. "I can see why you like it," he added. "It's quieter out here. More peaceful."

Oak's whiskers twitched. "Well, not always peaceful," he rumbled, amusement in his tone. "There's always predators to watch out for, and it can be harder to find food. But it's certainly more beautiful than the city, and it feels more like home – even if it can get a little lonely." Chipmunk watched Oak for a few moments, something almost like hope in his expression, before looking away.

The ShadowClan cats began to perk up as they neared their border. Tigerstar came to the front, ears perked and tail held stiffly, something urgent in his step. Blazeheart felt an odd thrill of relief as they passed over the border, even though the territory was not his. Whatever happened next, they were back in Clan territory, and the city was behind them. Either Blazeheart was going to die in Clan territory, or he would win his home back and never have to live in the city again.

Blazeheart noticed Dewfrost and Specklefoot walking nearby. With a brief mew to Ambertalon and Duskpaw, he left them to catch up with the ShadowClan cats. They were walking with their heads together, murmuring in low voices to each other, but they looked up as Blazeheart approached. "What is it like to be back?" he asked quietly. He had gotten to know most of Silentstorm's friends a lot better after helping them train Night's campmates, and he hoped Specklefoot wouldn't mind the question.

The tortoiseshell gave an uneasy shrug. "It's definitely strange," she mewed.

"The forest looks the same, but unfamiliar, somehow," Dewfrost added. She glanced at Blazeheart with her ice-blue gaze, and the tom remembered another time when she had patiently endured his questions. It seemed so long ago now, in a happier time, even though the flood had taken their camp. "I know these trees, and I know that slope, but it feels more like something out of a dream."

Specklefoot pinned her ears back, a growl in her throat. "Those foxhearts have stolen too much from us. Even now that we're back, they've stolen home from us." Dewfrost pressed against Specklefoot's side, looking at her mate with concern in her ice-blue eyes. Specklefoot looked at her sadly for a moment. "They almost took you from me," she murmured, almost too low for Blazeheart to hear.

"I know," Dewfrost mewed, giving Specklefoot a swift lick on the ear. "But we'll get through this. We can win this fight – Breeze won't know what's coming." She pulled back, gazing proudly at Specklefoot. "And with the allies you helped win for us, we'll outnumber them."

Specklefoot sighed, just flicking an ear in response. Blazeheart was starting to feel like he was intruding, so he dipped his head, padding a little ahead to walk beside Larksong. He could see Aspenpaw, Owlpaw, and Cloudpaw talking together, with Little Whiskers and Daffodil trailing behind. Owlpaw and Cloudpaw were as tall as any of the warriors now – it couldn't be long until their training was over. Aspenpaw was only a little shorter, and with a start Blazeheart realized that Daffodil and Little Whiskers were around her side, with Little Whiskers being bigger. He hadn't realized the horseplace were getting so big.

As he walked beside the WindClan warrior, he could hear the apprentices talking. "I practiced that move you showed me," Cloudpaw was saying to Aspenpaw. "I think I got it down. I hope I get to use it on one of those rogues today."

"Just hope a rogue doesn't use it on you," Owlpaw mewed, flicking his tail against Cloudpaw's flank. "We'll be lucky if we all get out of this alive to get our warrior names."

Aspenpaw snorted. "At least you two are close to getting your names," she pointed out, something teasing in her mew. "I have to wait another moon and a half."

"It's not that long to wait," Cloudpaw mewed.

"Yeah, but you guys will probably get your names after the battle," Aspenpaw said. "What do you think you'll be called? Cloudstripe? Cloudsky?" She glanced at the WindClan tom. "Maybe Owlspots for you?"

Cloudpaw drew up his head. "Maybe Cloudheart," he purred, "or Cloudfang." Owlpaw just shook his head, apparently too worried to join in their game. The dark tabby glanced back at the horseplace cats. "What about you two?" he asked. "What would you want your warrior names to be?"

The littermates glanced curiously at each other. "Well, Littlewhisker sounds like a warrior name," Little Whiskers mewed. "I guess that could work. But I don't know if I'd even want a warrior name. I mean... we're not really Clan cats, are we?"

Aspenpaw gave the tom a friendly nudge with her shoulder. "You know you could be, if you wanted," she purred. "And you're our friends." Her bi-colored gaze suddenly became serious, and curious as she gazed at the horseplace cats. "Do you really think you'll go back to the horseplace after this fight is over?" she asked.

The two cats were silent for a few moments. "I don't know," Little Whiskers murmured. Something in his voice made Blazeheart think he wasn't telling the whole truth, that he'd already made up his mind.

"Let's worry about the fight first," Daffodil mewed firmly. "We can figure out where we're going to live next if we're still alive." She glanced at the other apprentices, mewing in a more friendly tone, "And Clan cats or not, we'll always fight for our friends."

They drew further ahead, too far for Blazeheart to hear their words anymore, but he could hear their friendly tones as the Clans passed over the RiverClan border. He was both envious of and uneasy about their ability to joke and find joy even as the Clans were walking into deadly battle. At least they still had some measure of hope, and didn't feel the weight of fear and worry that Blazeheart did. But he wondered what kind of lives these apprentices would have if the battle was won.

Little Whiskers and Daffodil would have to make a decision about where they would live – would they choose the horseplace and leave their friends behind, or choose a Clan? And even if they lived in the Clans, which Clan would they choose? Either way, they would have to part ways with some of their friends, as would the other apprentices. Some of the younger cats probably didn't even remember a time before the Clans lived as one Clan. What would it be like for them when the Clans divided again?

He could see warriors of all Clans walking side by side, and the city cats walking among them too. Ruckus was talking quietly with Lionblaze and Velma, Rizzo walking beside Sedgewhisker, Moth and Whisp talking with Petalfur and Finstrike. Even Hoover and Scurry seemed comfortable among the Clan cats now. What would it be like when they left the city cats behind? As much as he had missed his home and wanted revenge on the rogues, there had been an odd sense of unity in the city that there had never been in the forest. Would that remain? Or were the divisions between Clans too great to ever be bridged?

The sun was slowly setting as they finally reached the moor, and it was nearly set by the time they reached Breeze's camp. Silentstorm, Finstrike, Nightfern, and Lightfoot had taken the lead by now, guiding the Clans to the wide hollow that Breeze and his cats made their home. Blazeheart wondered briefly at the dream that had led Nightfern to the camp the first time – was it truly sent by StarClan? Did they still watch over the Clans? Or did they fight alone now? It had been so long since any cat had heard from StarClan, that he had begun to doubt.

Once they reached the hollow, the cats hid in the sparse undergrowth, cautiously looking down into the hollow. It was a vast space, larger than the camp of any Clan, with a few scraggly bushes and holes seeming to serve as dens. Those without dens were laying out in the open, eating and talking quietly. Blazeheart spotted Night in the crowd, as well as Tansy and Drizzle, but it was too dark to make out cats farther away. Most of the cats looked too skinny, and were giving sorrowful glances towards the fresh-kill pile, which was guarded by a few cats. He didn't see Breeze anywhere.

The leaders murmured to each other for a few moments, then Rizzo led her cats further back, while the Clan cats began to circle around the ridge surrounding the hollow. Blazeheart knew what the plan was, since the leaders had announced it earlier – the Clans would attack first, surprising the rogues. Then, the leaders would give the first signal, and the city cats would attack. On the last signal, Breeze's campmates would turn on him. They hoped that spreading out the attacks would give them a greater element of surprise, and would spook Breeze and his cats into wondering just how many cats they had to deal with. It was a good plan. Blazeheart just hoped it would work.

He caught back up with Ambertalon, joining her as Sedgewhisker directed them to wait on part of the ridge with other warriors. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Duskpaw and the others taking off for the horseplace. Blazeheart's heart was racing as he pressed against Ambertalon's side. It was almost time; there would be cats screeching and yowling, fur tearing, cats fighting to kill, in just a few moments. He and Ambertalon pressed against each other, neither cat needing to speak.

Finally, every cat was in place. They crouched, tense and ready, waiting for the command that would send them into a screeching whirl of battle. It seemed like moons until Mistystar's yowl rang across the moor, sending chills down Blazeheart's spine.

"Attack!"

* * *

Well, it's time. ^^

I feel like the next few chapters should be pretty easy to write. ^^ Action tends to be easier and faster to write. Plus, I want to have this fanfic finished within a month. I started it on the 19th of last month, I want to finish it on or before the 19th of this month. I have four days, and four chapters to write. I can do this. ^^ And it'll be the fastest I ever wrote a fanfic this long.

I just want to say in advance - get ready for the battle. I won't spoil anything, but I will say I'm not going to hold back on the losses here. Get your tissues ready again. I just want you guys to be prepared.

For the new apprentices, their mentors are pretty much stated in the text, but I want to definitively state who has which mentor, just to be sure. Foxpaw is mentored by Skystripe, Russetpaw is mentored by Ripplewing, Flintpaw is mentored by Gorsetail, and Shardpaw by Nightfern. I know Skystripe and Russetpaw are rather young to be getting apprentices, but everyone else has already had at least one apprentice, and I wanted to give them a chance at it. At least Flintpaw gets a highly experienced warrior as a mentor, and even if Nightfern hasn't had an apprentice yet, she's still older than Ripplewing and Skystripe.

Next chapter will be in Blazeheart's POV again - I know we've been following him for a while. Don't worry, we'll get back to Silentstorm before the action's totally over.


	25. Chapter Twenty Three

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 5: Code of the Forest  
Chapter Twenty Three

"Attack!"

The moment Mistystar's cry rang through the air, the Clan cats burst from the sparse undergrowth, pouring down into the hollow below. Blazeheart heard the cats below giving startled cries as the Clan cats flooded into their camp, throwing themselves at the cats. Blazeheart raced into the hollow beside Ambertalon, tackling a long-furred tom before he had a chance to do much more than get to his paws. Blazeheart dragged the tom down into the dirt, wrapping his forelegs around his neck and forcing him down, while Ambertalon clawed at his flanks.

All around them, yowls and screeches filled the air, breaking the peaceful silence of the night. The battle had begun.

At first, the rogues had been too shocked to react to the attack. But once that shock faded, they began to fight back. The long-haired tom thrashed and writhed, shrieking as his claws struck against Blazeheart's chin.

Blazeheart bit down on his shoulder, but before he could sink his fangs in very deep, teeth gripped onto the back of his scruff, and he was suddenly pulled away from the tom. He whirled on his new enemy, a speckled she-cat, ripping free from her gasp and dodging a swipe from her paw. Ambertalon tried to join him, but the long-haired tom snapped his jaws down on her paw, pulling her away from her mate.

The tabby spun away as the she-cat snapped at the open air where he'd been, whirling back around to slash at her flank. She bore down on him faster than he could pull away, her foreleg wrapping around his shoulder and digging her claws in, and her jaws clamped down over his ear.

" _Re-ee-owr!_ " Blazeheart screeched as her fangs tore through the delicate skin of his ear. He struck out blindly, his claws slicing through the fur of her shoulder. Her fangs sank in deeper and deeper; he reared up on his hind legs, trying to push her chest away from him, but her claws still dug into one shoulder, and she managed to jerk him to the side so he fell off-balance, crashing to the ground. He screwed his eyes shut, trying to ignore the agony in his ear.

Suddenly, the fangs were pried from his ear, the weight of the she-cat lifted from him. Gasping, Blazeheart twisted around to see Swanfall wrestling with the speckled she-cat, snarling as she fought to pin the she-cat. Blazeheart scrambled to his paws, ignoring the fierce throbbing in his ears as he joined Swanfall in her attack. They leaped in and out, swiping and clawing and biting, until the she-cat tore away, fleeing for cover and wailing.

Blazeheart looked up for a moment, surveying the battle. He still couldn't see where Breeze was, but every other cat was up and fighting. Lakebird and Hawkbriar were batting a tom between them, Pepperpelt shrieking as a large tom snapped at his throat, Graycloud and Petalfur working together to fight three larger cats. The warrior spotted Night and Drizzle fighting Tunnelshade and Skystripe, but even though they fought as fiercely as any cat, he noticed Night bite the shoulder rather than the throat when Tunnelshade slipped and left his throat exposed, and Drizzle didn't bite on Drizzle's leg quite as hard as he could have. Shrieks and wails rose in the air as Breeze's campmates threw themselves fully into the fight. They had quickly gotten over their surprise, and the Clan cats were outnumbered.

But not for long.

Sedgewhisker's caterwaul rose over the shrieks of the crowd. "Attack!" Through the darkness and the chaos of the battle, Blazeheart could see cats pouring into the camp, yowling and extending their claws as they threw themselves into the fight. At the front was a skinny black she-cat, fury burning like fire in her green eyes, and her green collar still hanging on her neck. _The city cats!_

Cries of confusion rose from Breeze's campmates as Rizzo and her fellow city cats leaped into battle. Blazeheart saw Rizzo drag a large tom off of Marshcloud, Velma and Cosima jumping in together to fight a lanky she-cat. Cosmo quickly ran to Darkbreeze's side, joining her as she faced off against two toms. Breeze's cats seemed confused again, a few running off. There were still more cats on Breeze's side than theirs, but the gap was no longer as great. Slowly, the Clans were getting the advantage back.

"Get back here you cowards!" Blazeheart whipped around to face the cry. Breeze was standing atop a boulder towards the center of the camp, his black pelt bristling with indignant fury, rage burning in his eyes. "Defend your campmates! The Clans cannot be allowed to destroy what we've worked for!"

 _Traitor!_ Blazeheart thought, fuming. He started racing towards the boulder, claws sliding out. Breeze was what held these cats together; kill him, and the battle was over. But Breeze quickly leaped down from the boulder and back into the fray, and Blazeheart lost sight of him.

Before he could keep looking for him, a black she-cat rammed into Blazeheart, throwing him to the ground. He landed hard on his shoulder, his pelt scraping against the hard dirt. Before he could get back to his paws, the she-cat was on top of him, biting down on his shoulder. He screeched, twisting around to kick hard at her belly with his hind paws. She stumbled as his claws tore through the soft fur of her belly, and he took advantage of it by wriggling loose, scrambling back to his paws and twisting around to meet her claws as he reared up and batted her paws away. He leaped nimbly to the side as she struck out at his face, instead grabbing her tail between his teeth and yanking hard. When she wailed in pain, he bit down harder.

Claws dug into his side, tearing him away from the she-cat. Blazeheart pulled free, whirling and finding himself facing two larger cats. He shrieked as they tackled him, using their weight to pin him down. Their fangs and claws dug into his pelt, making him wail.

One cat's weight was suddenly lifted from him. He turned quickly on the other cat, landing a hard blow across the cat's jaw to throw him off balance. Once he had pulled free, he looked up to see Mallownose pulling one away, delivering a series of slices to her face. She reared back with a shriek, but the other cat was faster than Mallownose; before the warrior could lower his paws, the tom lunged at him, catching his throat in his jaws. Mallownose gave a choked cry, blood gushed from the wound, but the rogue tom held on tighter and tighter.

Blazeheart scrambled to his paws, quickly lunging at the tom and pulling him away from Mallownose. The second the tom released his grip on Mallownose, the RiverClan warrior crumpled, falling to the ground with a groan. He twitched a few times, blood still pulsing from his torn throat, before he stilled forever.

"Murderer!" Blazeheart hissed as he brought his claws slicing down on the tom's flank, ducking as the tom tried to snap at him. He tried ducking in and out to make attacks, but the rogue was faster than he'd expected, and stronger, and he quickly realized he was outmatched. He barely managed to scramble out of the way as the tom's jaws nearly closed on his spine, and his fangs still closed on his flank. Blazeheart shrieked, twisting around to slice the tom across the muzzle. When the tom's grip loosened, and more warriors started to close in on the tom, Blazeheart turned and ran. He dodged and ducked through the throng of cats until the tom was well behind him.

He had only gotten free from the tom when another yowl sounded. "Attack!" Tigerstar's yowl rose above the chaotic cries of the battle, giving Blazeheart a new rush of hope. Nearby, Night and Hollow had been fighting Sedgewhisker, Breeze's cats striking and clawing and snarling as they drove Sedgewhisker back. But when Tigerstar's cry rang out, Night instantly turned on Hollow, slicing her claws down his muzzle and shoving him hard with her shoulder. Hollow yowled in confused fury as Sedgewhisker and Night began working together, driving Hollow back until he had to flee back into the crowd.

All around Blazeheart, the rest of their allies were doing the same thing. Tigerlily was dragging a large tom off of Hoover, Petalfur and Pine were driving back a white she-cat, Hurricane bearing down on a smaller tom until he squealed and ran away. The Clans and Breeze's cats were now evenly matched, and with some of Breeze's cats already having run off, the tide was turning in favor of the Clans. Blazeheart was finally beginning to hope that this would work after all.

Then, a furious yowl sounded. "Traitors!" Blazeheart spotted a flash of Breeze's black fur through the sea of pelts. The black tom had tackled Snow, hissing in her face, "I took you in! The Clans betrayed you!"

"I betrayed _them_ ," Snow snarled in his face. "And I won't help you destroy them!" She tried to twist free, but the stronger tom kept her limbs pinned. All she could do was snarl in his face. Blazeheart tried to approach them, but was blocked off by a dappled tom, who slashed at his muzzle with hooked claws. With a frustrated hiss, Blazeheart dodged the next blow, grabbing the tom's paw between his teeth and pulling.

Breeze snarled, tail lashing. "Then you'll die like the traitor you are!" He jerked his muzzle down, about to close his jaws over her throat, when suddenly a nearby yowl sounded. The tom looked up, giving Snow enough time to pull free and escape, but he didn't seem to mind. His amber eyes were gleaming with delight, his purr sending a shiver through Blazeheart's pelt. "Finally," he hissed.

Blazeheart hardly had time to appreciate what he'd said before more cats began flooding into the camp. He could see Scorch at the head of this new group, but he didn't recognize a single other cat that followed her. The newcomers poured into the hollow, leaping straight into the battle with fangs flashing and snarls in their throats. Blazeheart saw Owlpaw try to block one of them, but the massive tom tore the apprentice's throat open with a quick flick of his paw. Owlpaw's eyes were already glazed over with death by the time he hit the ground.

After giving the dappled tom a last nip before letting him flee, Blazeheart raced over to where Sedgewhisker and Night were. They had just chased away their opponent, and were panting from the effort when Blazeheart ran over, thrusting his muzzle in Night's face. "Who are they?" he demanded, his snarl heavy with rage. These had to be new allies of Breeze's, and if he had recruited them, he must have known that the Clans would attack. _She must have betrayed us!_

Night's amber eyes were wide with shock. "I've never seen any of those cats before!" she gasped. The fear and shock in her tone was enough to make Blazeheart back down. "Why would he make new allies and not tell any of us?"

"Because I knew some of my cats were weak." Blazeheart barely had time to register Breeze's hiss before the black tom was on top of them, barreling into Night and pinning his mother to the ground. Blazeheart and Sedgewhisker moved in to help, but some of the new rogues got in the way, drawing them into battle again.

As Blazeheart struggled against a black-and-white she-cat, he heard Breeze sneering, "I suspected some of my cats were planning mutiny – some cats stayed away from camp too long, and whispered to each other in camp." He dug his claws in deeper, making Night gasp. Anger filled his hiss as he continued, "But I never expected _you_ to turn traitor. My own mother."

Night's voice came in a low rasp. "I couldn't let more cats get hurt because of our mistakes, Breeze. Your father and I –"

She gasped against as his claws dug in. "I hated my father," he hissed. "I _killed_ him. He never cared about me, and he let the Clan hate me. But you... you told me to be the best I could. You supported me."

"I spoiled you," the she-cat rasped, her breath hitching as a sob broke through. "I let you grow arrogant. I didn't see how hateful you were becoming... I'm sorry."

Breeze thrust his muzzle in her face. "You made me what I am," he snarled. "And now, you think you can just wash your paws of me? This, _all_ of this, the death and the blood, it's your fault too. You'll never escape that. I will destroy the Clans for what they've done, and you can sit by and watch, knowing it's your fault."

Blazeheart hissed as the she-cat scratched her claws down his side. He whipped around to snap at her neck fur, yanking to the side to pull her off balance. As he managed to wrestle her to the ground, he heard Night say in a stronger tone, "No, Breeze. It's your fault. It's time for you to stop blaming every other cat for the choices you've made. Crowfeather and I weren't good parents, but you chose to kill cats!"

"I'm righting the wrongs of the Clans!" he screeched, all semblance of the calm, confident, well-spoken leader gone. Now Breeze was shaking with rage, amber eyes blazing with hatred and hurt. "And if you're so precious to fight for the Clans again, I'll send you to StarClan myself!"

He raised his paw, about to deal the death blow, when Sedgewhisker finally beat off her attacker. The WindClan leader gave a furious battle cry as she leaped onto Breeze, tearing the tom off of Night. "Leave her alone!" Sedgewhisker snarled, all the righteous fury of a leader in her yowl. Breeze screeched furiously, turning on Sedgewhisker and tackling her. The two cats were locked in a shrieking, tearing whirl, Blazeheart's view partially obscured by the she-cat he fought.

Their furious snarls were suddenly broken off, a wail of agony rising from one cat. Then Sedgewhisker was on the ground, her throat torn open. Her amber eyes were wide as she tried to gasp in air, but the blood just pulsed more and more from her torn throat with every breath. Finally, her eyes glazed over, and her sides stilled, her head slumping forward to the ground. The WindClan leader was dead. Breeze stood over her, panting and spitting out blood. He had killed the WindClan leader, but she had left him wounded.

" _No!_ " Night had been struggling to get back to her paws after Sedgewhisker saved her, but now she was flying at her son, rage burning in her eyes. "That's the last innocent cat you get to kill, Breeze!" She slammed into his side with surprising strength, sending him tumbling, but he quickly rolled back onto his paws and rose to meet her. They disappeared into the crowd, until Blazeheart could no longer see or hear them.

He sent the black-and-white she-cat running with a fierce bite to her shoulder, panting and shaking as she fled. The battle was starting to take its toll on him; his sides and flanks were scored with clawmarks, and he could still feel a terrible throbbing in his ear, where he was sure part of the skin was torn away. His legs were starting to tremble with exhaustion, but he forced himself to stay standing as he stumbled towards Sedgewhisker's body.

Blood still flowed from her wound, but the she-cat was motionless in death, her amber eyes glazed over and dull. Blazeheart lowered his head to her, just for a moment. She had been uncertain of her leadership at first, having only been deputy for a moon and having to lead WindClan in one of its most desperate times without guidance. But she had shown courage and dedication in that trying time, and had become the equal of any other leader. If she had lived, she would have been a great leader.

The moment over, Blazeheart looked back up at the battle, trying to assess the odds. His blood chilled as he realized the Clans were losing. Grasspelt was shrieking as he was swarmed by enemies. Petalfur leaped in, pulling them off of her brother, but three cats quickly brought her to the ground. She gave a final wail, which was abruptly cut off.

Toadfoot and Smoke were lying dead together, Toadfoot's claws still covered in Smoke's blood. Birchfall was trying to defend the elder's body from the cats who had killed him, but soon he too fell, strewn out beside Toadfoot as he bled out his life. Blazeheart couldn't see Mistystar or Tigerstar, but he could hear Tigerstar's furious roar through the chaos of the fight. Bramblestar was fighting Scorch and another cat near him. He tried to twist away, from Scorch's claws, but he wasn't fast enough, and they slashed down across his head. Bramblestar was brought crashing to the ground, gasping and bleeding heavily. In a few moments, his eyes glazed over, his breath falling silent.

Blazeheart froze, horror creeping through his pelt. _He's losing a life!_ he realized, starting to tremble all over. Every horrifying nightmare he'd had about how this battle could go wrong was coming true. The Clans were horribly outnumbered. One leader was dead, another one dying, warriors had been murdered, and they were losing, badly. He looked, frozen, at the body of his leader, wondering how it could have all gone so wrong. Was this really how the Clans were going to end?

Blazeheart heard Tigerstar cry, "Retreat!" Some of the warriors followed him as they made a break for the ridge, but Breeze's cats quickly cut off their escape, chasing the warriors back into the camp. Blazeheart felt a blaze of terror. The Clans were trapped. He could see Berrynose and Poppyfrost lying on the ground, the she-cat dead avenging the tom. Chipmunk gave a shriek as Oak was swarmed by rogues, brought to the ground. "No! Leave him alone!" Vinescar stumbled from a fierce blow to the shoulder, Winnie and Maisie jumping in to defend him. The she-cats were elderly, but they fought with surprising ferocity. They were getting slower, though, and their pelts were already covered in the marks of battle. Whisp was fighting side by side with Stone, but was quickly dragged away by more cats. He gave a shriek as one cat's jaws snapped down on his spine, then fell silent, dropping limply to the ground when the cat released him. Everywhere Blazeheart looked, Clan cats and their allies were lying eerily still, dead or dying, and those still fighting were hopelessly outnumbered. It was over. They were all going to die here, and the warrior code would be lost forever.

He cast one last glance at Bramblestar's body, then took off, racing back into the fight. Terror still coursed through his blood, but determination was starting to take over, anger pulsing through his pelt. If the Clans were going to die today, he was going to take as many cats down with him as he could. _I'm sorry, Wrenkit,_ he thought as he tackled a large black tom. _But I'm a warrior – I have to fight. I just hope you know that I died tying to make it right for you._

The smaller tom delivered a series of vicious slashes down the tom's side before the tom was able to whirl on him. He darted quickly out of reach, snarling vicious taunts as he ducked back in to deliver a bite to the tom's flank. The tom snarled, rearing up on his hind legs to bring his paws smashing down on Blazeheart.

A gray blur hurtled into him before he could, snarling and biting, jaws closing down over his paw. Blazeheart didn't stop to think; he took advantage of the tom's distracting, bringing his claws slashing down on his flank. When the tom yowled, he grabbed the tom's tail between his teeth, biting down hard. He tried to tear free and run away, but the gray cat and Blazeheart wrestled him to the ground, the tom's thrashing growing weaker and weaker. Blazeheart only backed away when the tom stilled, his eyes glazing over with death. It was the first time he had ever killed another cat, but instead of horror, Blazeheart felt nothing but grim satisfaction as he looked at the tom's body.

Blazeheart spat out blood and fur, finally glancing at the cat who had helped him. Larksong was panting, her gray pelt covered in clawmarks and gashes, but her green eyes still burned with fury. She met Blazeheart's gaze for a moment. The tom could see his own sense of hopelessness reflected there – they both knew that this battle was lost, and that they were going to die. But as Larksong spat fur out, all she growled was, "That's one down."

The tabby dipped his head. "Let's see how many more we can take down before they send us all to StarClan," he growled.

Larksong's whiskers twitched in an odd show of amusement. Then, suddenly, she stiffened in horror. "Oh, StarClan no," she breathed.

Blazeheart followed her gaze. At first, he was unsure what she was looking at. Then, he saw Shadepaw, Nightfern's daughter, locked in battle with a dark gray tabby tom. He stiffened, realizing how similar the tom looked to Darkbreeze, and to Wetwhisker.

"Gray!" Shadepaw gasped, trying to struggle free as Gray fought to keep her pinned. "Gray, it's me, your sister!

Gray's amber eyes were filled with cruel glee. "I don't care," he hissed. "Clan cats are the enemy, and Breeze wants you all dead." Before Shadepaw could protest again, he closed his jaws over her throat, biting down hard. Shadepaw shrieked her agony.

"No!" Larksong and Blazeheart took off running towards the apprentice and her brother, ready to get between them.

But Nightfern was faster.

The mottled she-cat shrieked in fury as she hurtled towards her kits. Blood was trickling from a wound above her eyes, and her flanks and shoulders were covered in gashes, but it didn't slow her down. She grabbed Gray's neck in her jaws, biting hard and tearing him off of her daughter, throwing him to the side. Gray went skidding across the dusty ground, gasping from the wound in his throat. He gave a few feeble twitches, then stilled, his eyes glazing over.

Nightfern was still trembling with fury, but after a few moments, the rage of battle seemed to seep from her as she realized what she'd done. "Gray!" She raced to Gray's side just as Blazeheart and Larksong reached Shadepaw. Nightfern sniffed him all over, nudging him, her voice breaking with sobs as she pleaded with him. "Gray, please, you have to get up! I can still take you home! Oh StarClan, what have I done?" She threw her head back in a desperate wail. "I killed my own son!"

Shadepaw wasn't moving when Blazeheart and Larksong reached her side. Her throat was bleeding heavily from Gray's bite, and her amber eyes were dulled over. A quick check showed that she wasn't breathing. "Nightfern..." Larksong murmured, eyes wide with horror.

The horror in Larksong's tone was enough to draw Nightfern's attention to her. Her amber eyes widened in terror as she saw the body of her daughter. "No!" She hurried to Shadepaw's side, nudging her and sniffing just as she had with Gray, but it was no use. Shadepaw was already dead.

Nightfern collapsed this time, burying her muzzle in her daughter's pelt as she wailed her loss. "StarClan, no! I killed Gray to save you, and you're already gone! I've murdered my own kits!" Her words gave way to a hair-raising shriek of loss, her entire pelt shaking.

Blazeheart took a step back, too overcome with horror to do anything except stare. He had no words for what he'd just seen, and a look at Larksong told him that she was just as lost in her horror as he was. _StarClan, how could you let this happen?_ he wailed internally, wanting to blame someone, _anyone,_ for the blood scene he'd just witnessed. _How could you abandon us like this?_

Suddenly, a new weight slammed into Blazeheart, carrying him off his paws, and away from Nightfern and her loss. A large tabby she-cat was staring down at him, eyes flashing with fury as she pinned him down.

Blazeheart stared dully back at her. He was too tired, too numb with horror, to fight back. _This is it,_ he thought as the she-cat's jaws closed down on him.

 _I'm sorry, Wrenkit._

* * *

*retreats back to bunker*

Yeah. So. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry.

Let's over who led cats to StarClan, shall we? (dead city cats are not on this list, as we don't know how their afterlife works or anyone who would lead them there, and only confirmed dead cats are on here.)

Mallownose was led to StarClan by his mentor Rippletail.  
Owlpaw was led to StarClan by his father Weaselfur.  
Sedgewhisker was led to StarClan by her father Beechfur.  
Petalfur was led to StarClan by her brother Beetlewhisker.  
Toadfoot was led to StarClan by his sister Applefur, who he died avenging.  
Birchfall was led to StarClan by his mother Ferncloud.  
Smoke is in the Dark Forest, and wasn't led there by anyone.  
Berrynose was led to StarClan by his mother Daisy.  
Poppyfrost was led to StarClan by her sister Honeyfern.  
Gray is in the Dark Forest (I know he's young, but he chose to kills cats) and wasn't led there by anyone.  
Shadepaw was led to StarClan by her grandmother Kinkfur.

Wow, that's a lot of death for one chapter. I did try to warn you guys. This is sort of my answer to The Last Hope, in that I felt more cats should have died in that battle. I hope this didn't seem too overdone, but this was meant to be a vicious battle to the death.

And as for Nightfern... I'm sorry.

Next chapter will be in Silentstorm's POV. I will try to have it posted soon.


	26. Chapter Twenty Four

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 5: Code of the Forest  
Chapter Twenty Four

Silentstorm spat out blood, snarling at the retreating tom. Everything was going wrong. Breeze had unexpectedly brought new allies to the camp to help him fight, the Clans were outnumbered again, and all around her were the dying shrieks of her friends and Clanmates. She had tried to save Berrynose, but a she-cat had torn his belly open, and then Poppyfrost had died trying to avenge him. Birchfall was gone too, and so was Toadfoot, and Whisp, and so many others. Some on Breeze's side were dead too – Heathertail had killed Sol when the coward had tried to escape the Clan, and Silentstorm had heard Olivenose and Snow driving Shrew out of camp. But most of the dead were Clan cats and their allies.

 _I failed._ The thought kept repeating in Silentstorm's mind, even as she fought to catch her breath. She had learned as much as she could about the prophecy, she had found new allies for the Clan, she had done everything she could to try to ensure the Clans' survival. And she had still failed. The Clans were outnumbered, cats were dead, and they were unable to escape.

She had tried several times to reach Breeze during the battle, so she could kill him and end the battle, but she was always blocked from him. Whenever too many cats tried to attack him, it always seemed like there were more rogues in the way. By now, she was losing hope she would ever reach him. All she could hope for at this point was the possibility of helping some of the young cats escape.

 _I'm sorry, Rock,_ she thought almost bitterly, as she started to race through camp, ducking and weaving through the throng of fighting cats. _But you're going to have to find someone else for your precious prophecy. I don't think I'm making it out of this one._

The she-cat tried to sniff out some of the apprentices – she would guide them out of camp, and try to distract any cat that tried to stop them from escaping. If some of the apprentices got out in time, and were able to run back to the city to warn the elders and queens, maybe they could escape in time to find somewhere to hide that Breeze wouldn't discover. _Some of us have to survive,_ she thought grimly. _It should be the young cats._

She nearly tripped over Slugpaw's body as she hurried through the camp. The RiverClan apprentice was sprawled out, throat torn open and jaws trickling with blood. Silentstorm suppressed a shudder, turning and racing away, intent on finding cats who she could still save.

Suddenly, a huge weight crashed into her, a snarl in her ear as she was wrestled to the ground. "Where do you think you're going, forest fool?" Silentstorm recognized the low growl of Scorch.

Silentstorm twisted around, grabbing Scorch's pelt in her jaws and pulling Scorch to the ground with her. "Murderer!" she hissed. The two massive she-cats tumbled together, kicking and writhing as each tried to keep the other pinned. At their full strength, the two she-cats were evenly match. But even after practicing and training the last few days, Silentstorm was still clumsier and weaker than usual from having carried her kits. Eventually, Scorch got her pinned. She dug her claws into Silentstorm's shoulder, keeping her shoulders and hips pinned. Silentstorm screeched as Scorch's fangs burrowed into her neck, biting down harder and harder.

Suddenly, something pulled Scorch's weight off of Silentstorm. The she-cat gasped as air rushed back into her lungs, trying to get her bearings back. There was a fierce snarling from multiple cats, and Silentstorm caught the scents of Cosima and Velma. The queen quickly scrambled to her paws, joining the kittypets in their attack on Scorch. Scorch was backing way, frustration in her snarl as she tried to block the attacks from the three she-cats.

Blood boiling with rage, Silentstorm rose onto her hind paws, bringing her front paws crashing down on the side of Scorch's neck, claws tearing through her flesh. Scorch gave a gargled cry, stumbling back as the blood gushed from her wounded neck. Cosima and Silentstorm advanced on her, ready to attack again, but Scorch turned and stumbled away. She was quickly swept up in the chaos of sounds and scents in the battle, and Silentstorm could no longer tell where she'd gone.

"Well, I doubt she's coming back," Silentstorm snorted. "That was a pretty bad wound." She turned to Cosima, rasping, "Thank you. I'd have been crowfood if you hadn't shown up."

Cosima flicked her tail. "Don't mention it. It's just too bad she got awa... Velma!" The tortoiseshell had turned back to look at her denmate when the strangled cry escaped her. Instantly alerted, Silentstorm flicked her ears toward Velma.

At first, she couldn't tell what had alarmed Cosima so much. Then she heard a raspy breath from Velma, and she caught the stench of blood. A moment later, Velma crumpled, falling to the ground.

"No!" Cosima and Silentstorm rushed to the kittypet's side, crouching beside her and nosing her pelt. Silentstorm's heart sank as she discovered a hash on the side of Velma's head. Her breath was coming in ragged gasps now, her sides jerking as she tried to draw in breath.

Cosima looked desperately at Silentstorm. "We have to help her!" she pleaded, her whole pelt trembling. "We need to get her to a medicine cat!"

Silentstorm sighed. She wanted to help Velma as much as Cosima did, but she knew it was already too late. Velma's wound was too serious, and she had lost too much blood. "We can try," she murmured. "But I don't think –"

Before she could finish, Velma gave an odd jerk. She gave a few more, rasping breaths, then fell limp against he ground, her breathing falling silent. The kittypet was dead.

Cosima gave a choked cry, burying her muzzle in her denmate's pelt. Silentstorm felt a rush of grief. She hadn't gotten to know the city cats quite as well as those that had trained them, but her father's apprentice had seemed like a good cat, determined and strong. She dipped her head to the kittypet for a moment, murmuring, "Thank you for saving my life."

For a moment, despair nearly overwhelmed her. There was no way the Clans could win this fight. They would all be killed before any of them got a decent shot at killing Breeze. Shade would find someone who would let her use their body, and everything would be lost. _I failed._

Suddenly, a voice whispered in her ear. _"_ _You haven't lost yet."_

Silentstorm stiffened. "Rock?" she mewed in a low voice. Cosima didn't seem to hear her, still wrapped up in her own grief.

 _"_ _You think I did not foresee this battle?"_ Rock's voice challenged her in her mind. _"_ _I sent Nightfern that dream, so you could find the camp, and so you could understand the weight of what you were facing. I knew it would lead to Night finding you. I knew what needed to happen for you to win this battle. You still can win. You have to win. So fight!"_

As Rock spoke to her, Silentstorm almost started to feel something like hope again. She rose to her paws, giving a final dip of her head to Cosima and Velma's body before turning and rejoining the battle. The blind she-cat raced through the battlefield for a few moments before recognizing a nearby snarl. Darkbreeze was battling a large tom, but her frustrated yowl told Silentstorm that she was in trouble. The blind warrior raced towards her friend, tearing the large tom off of him and giving him a fierce bite to the shoulder. The two she-cats quickly worked together to drive the tom away. "Nice timing!" Darkbreeze mewed once he was gone, giving a quick shake of her pelt. "You saved my pelt." There was a dull edge to Darkbreeze's mew, the same hopelessness that Silentstorm had been feeling, but she still managed a bit of her usual cheer.

"Don't mention it," the ThunderClan queen replied with a friendly flick of her tail. "Now come on, let's see if we can find some more pelts to tear."

Darkbreeze gave a small nod, and the two she-cats set off together into the battle. They were just getting ready to attack a scrawny tom when Silentstorm heard a desperate wail nearby. "StarClan, no! I killed Gray to save you, and you're already gone! I've murdered my own kits!"

Silentstorm froze as she recognized the wail. "Nightfern!" Darkbreeze gasped, her pelt fluffing out in fear. Forgetting the scrawny tom, they turned and raced towards the sound, Silentstorm's heart racing in fear. They quickly came upon Nightfern wailing over two smaller bodies. Silentstorm heard Darkbreeze gasp beside her. "Oh, StarClan no."

Heart sick with dread, Silentstorm finally recognized the scents of Gray and Shadepaw. She recalled Nightfern's cry, and realized with a rush of horror that Nightfern had killed her own son to save the daughter that was already dead. "Oh Nightfern," she murmured, completely lost for further words. What could a cat say in the face of something like that? How could any cat make that right?

Suddenly, a growl sounded behind the she-cats. "You killed my loyal guard!" Nightfern didn't even look up, still wailing in grief, but Darkbreeze and Silentstorm turned to face the cat who had spoken. Silentstorm's blood surged with rage. _Breeze!_

"He's dead because of you!" Darkbreeze shrieked at her father, arching her back and baring her fangs. "You made him into a killer!"

The leader of the camp was facing them, snarling as he advanced towards Nightfern. "I raised him as my son!" he snapped, lashing his tail. "He was loyal to me, and to my cause, and you killed him!" There was black hatred in his tone. "I don't care if you two are my daughters. I'll kill you both for this!"

He started to lunge towards Nightfern, but Silentstorm was faster. The blood was roaring in her ears, rage blocking out every thought but her hatred for Breeze. _You killed Jayfeather!_ She almost thought she could feel the small medicine cat beside her now, his gruff voice in her ears. _"_ _Kill Breeze, and you save the Clans."_

With a roar of fury, she threw herself at the tom, tackling him and sending them both tumbling to the ground. All of the hatred and rage she had every felt for the selfish tom soared through her veins now, giving her strength as she snapped and clawed and bit. But the battle had taken its toll on her, and after two moons in the nursery and milk still in her belly, she wasn't at her full strength. Breeze quickly started to get the upper paw, putting Silentstorm on the defensive as he slashed and lunged, making her quickly dance out of reach. She felt herself getting slower as blood loss and exhaustion took hold. She screeched as his claws sliced across her chest. _I can't do it!_

Suddenly, there was a yowl, and two more cats had launched themselves at Breeze. "You turned my son into a monster!" Nightfern shrieked as she joined the attack on Breeze, snapping her jaws down on his leg. Darkbreeze said nothing, but gave a dreadful snarl that carried all the same hatred and fury that Silentstorm held for Breeze.

Breeze yowled his fury as the three she-cats managed to drag him to the ground, biting and clawing. He spat curses at them, but he was unable to fight off all three of them, and his struggles were getting weaker. Silentstorm burrowed her jaws into his shoulder, snarling viciously as she felt her teeth close down on bone. _This is for Jayfeather!_

Little by little, Breeze's thrashing fell away, the tom just fighting to draw in breath now. Silentstorm knew he was dying; he had lost too much blood, and he knew it too. He gave a hoarse snarl, heavy with rage, hatred, and also with fear. It even seemed to hold a hint of regret.

Silentstorm, Nightfern, and Darkbreeze didn't let go of the tom until he had drawn in his last, ragged breath. Only once his sides had stilled forever, and his rattling breath fell silent, did Silentstorm pry her fangs from his pelt, spitting out his blood. Breeze was stretched out in front of the three she-cats, his pelt torn and stained with blood, his jaws parted in a last desperate gasp for life. Silentstorm felt a surge of cruel satisfaction, tail lashing as she stood over the body of her hated enemy. Breeze was finally dead.

Darkbreeze threw back her head, giving a hoarse cry of triumph. Nightfern was still shaking in rage, but as Silentstorm flicked her ears towards her, the queen gave a terse nod, something satisfied in the lash of her tail. _She's avenged her kits,_ Silentstorm thought.

One of Breeze's campmates noticed the three she-cats not engaged in battle. He advanced on them with a snarl, only for the snarl to die in his throat as he noticed Breeze's body. The tom gave a yelp of shock, crying out, "Breeze is dead!"

The yowls of battle quickly broke off, giving way to wails of fear. "Breeze is dead!" A few of Breeze's campmates, apparently only having fought for fear of Breeze, turned on their campmates and helped drive them away. Those loyal to him fled, suddenly losing their confidence now that their leader was dead. Without Breeze's strength to hold them together, they were rogues again, scattering like frightened prey as the Clan cats yowled triumph behind them. Soon, the only cats left in camp were the Clan cats, their city allies, and their allies from Breeze's camp. Silentstorm could barely comprehend it. Only moments before, she had been certain that the Clan cats were all going to die. Now, they had won the battle, and Breeze was gone forever.

As the cats around her started to realize what had happened, they approached the three she-cats, awe in their mews as they congratulated them. "You really killed him," Larksong murmured as she limped closer, awe in her mew. "You saved us."

Silentstorm didn't have time to reply before a head was butting against her neck, purring deeply, another cat's chin on top of her head. She could feel the vibrations of both cats' purrs against her pelt. "Oh Silentstorm," Cinderheart murmured, while Lionblaze kept purring. "Thank StarClan you're alright."

"I'm fine," Silentstorm mewed quietly to her mother. Now that the battle was over, however, exhaustion was starting to take hold of the she-cat. She sagged against her father's side, letting the tom support her.

A moment later, Lightfoot was there too, pressing his muzzle against her neck. "I thought I would never see you again," he murmured, giving a gentle lick to her cheek.

Silentstorm breathed in the scent of the tom she loved, letting herself finally feel relieved. It was over, and now, she could go back to her family. Jaykit and Screechkit were waiting for her in camp – she wanted nothing more than to have them nestled against her belly again, safe and loved, in the warmth of the nursery. _You'll get to see the ThunderClan nursery now, little ones,_ she thought tenderly. _I can't wait to show you your home._ She pressed her muzzle to Lightfoot's neck as the Clans cats murmured in relief and triumph around her.

The Clans had won, but it was a hard victory. Bodies were strewn all around the camp, and all of the survivors were injured, and grieving. Silentstorm heard Ivypool's wail as she discovered the body of her father, and WindClan cats were crowding around another body. Silentstorm felt something in her gut lurch when she caught the scent of Sedgewhisker. _Oh StarClan, no,_ she thought mournfully. _WindClan has lost another leader._

She heard one cat limping through the crowd, coming to stand before Sedgewhisker's body. "Oh Sedgewhisker," she heard the cat murmur. The blind she-cat recognized the mew of Heathertail. "You deserved more than this."

"She never even got a chance to receive her nine lives," Emberfoot mewed sadly. He stood beside his mate, Gorsetail, who was crouched beside the body of her daughter.

Heathertail suddenly brought up her chin, raising her voice to address all of the gathered cats. "No, she never got her nine lives. But she was as much a leader as any nine-lived cat. She led WindClan through one of its hardest times, guided us and risked her life for us, even though she only had one life to risk." She glanced at the body of her leader, saying, "We can't bring her back or change what happened. But we can give the same honor we would give to any leader. We can send her to StarClan with her leader name, Sedgestar."

For several moments, no cat spoke. Then, Emberfoot gave a hoarse cry. "Sedgestar!"

Tigerstar picked up the cry next, raw grief in his mew as he called, "Sedgestar!" The cry was picked up by the rest of the cats in camp, until every cat was calling, "Sedgestar! Sedgestar! Sedgestar!"

Once the calls began to die die, Heathertail dipped her head to Sedgestar's body. "Farewell, Sedgestar," Heathertail called in a strong mew, as she spoke the words that would send the leader to StarClan. "May StarClan light your path as you walk the skies to join them. May you find good hunting, swift running, and shelter where you sleep."

For several moments, no cat spoke. Then, Hawkbriar took a step forward. "You're our leader now, Heathertail," she said. "The moor is ours again; you can travel to the Moonpool."

Heathertail stiffened for a moment, seeming surprised, before she began to nod slowly. "I will go to the Moonpool right now, with Icefur, to receive my nine lives," she called. Silentstorm wasn't surprised that she wanted to get it done right away – WindClan had been without a nine-lived leader for long enough. "And tonight, we will hold a vigil for every cat we lost." She became silent for a moment, giving a thoughtful flick of her tail, before continuing, "But before I go, I will choose the new deputy of WindClan." Silentstorm could hear the grim edge to her tone. _She wants WindClan to still have a leader if something happens to her on the way to the Moonpool,_ she realized.

Every cat fell silent as Heathertail called out, "I say these words before the spirits of StarClan, and the spirit of Sedgestar, so they can hear and approve my choice." She paused, apparently searching the crowd, before calling, "Larksong will be the new deputy of WindClan!"

Silentstorm heard the she-cat in question stiffen in surprise. Then, after a moment, she mewed, "I never expected such an honor, and I never expected to come to it after such horrors for our Clan. I'll do everything I can to help my Clan recover from these losses."

Cats were murmuring to each other, their mews approving. After a few moments, Nightfern called out from beside Silentstorm, "Larksong!" More cats began to pick up the cry, calling, "Larksong! Larksong!"

Bramblestar limped out of the crowd, something very sluggish about his movements. _Did he lose a life?_ Silentstorm wondered. "It's too late for us to go back to the city tonight," he called to the listening cats once the cheers died down. "We will stay here tonight. Tomorrow, we'll return to the city, and bring the rest of our Clanmates back home."

Silentstorm heard another cat approaching the crowd near Sedgestar's body. "My son can't hurt the Clans anymore." Night's mew was rough with grief, and she walked oddly, as though wounded. But there was no hatred for the cats who had killed her son there, only sadness. "You're welcome to our camp, and to the fresh-kill pile. We have no medicine den, but I'm sure there are herbs nearby for any medicine cats who want to gather them."

Bramblestar dipped his head to the she-cat. "Thank you for helping us defeat Breeze once and for all," he said to her, gratitude in his mew. "The Clans will not forget your sacrifice." He glanced towards Silentstorm, Darkbreeze, and Nightfern while adding, "And they will not forget the bravery of the warriors who won this victory for us tonight."

Silentstorm felt a rush of pride, but also dull grief. Their victory had come at a heavy price. And she alone knew that the fight wasn't over yet. Shade still awaited, and one day, she would have to make a choice that might destroy her in order to stop Shade. But for now, she would have to just enjoy the victory of the moment.

Suddenly, Night stiffened. "Where is Scorch?" she asked in a sharp mew.

"Last I saw her, she was running away," Silentstorm called to her. "She was pretty badly injured – I don't know if she's going to make it."

Night gave a distracted nod. "We need to get to the horseplace," she told the leaders. "You sent your apprentices there, yes?"

Heathertail nodded. "I'll take a patrol there on my way to the Moonpool," she told Night. "We can pick up whatever kits and queens that want to come back with us, and the patrol can take them back while Icefur and I continue on to the Moonpool.

The patrol was organized quickly. Even though she shook with exhaustion, Silentstorm requested to come along, as did Darkbreeze. Both cats were chosen, as were Stripedclaw, Hawkbriar, Eeltooth, and Specklefoot. Silentstorm's friends came to stand beside her and Darkbreeze, pressing their noses to their pelts and murmuring congratulations. "I guess you were destined to beat the darkness after all," Specklefoot mewed, as Eeltooth bumped his muzzle against Silentstorm's with a purr.

Silentstorm felt something in her chest twist with regret. _They think the prophecy is over,_ she thought sadly. _And I can't tell them different – they would try to stop me. I have to go through the rest of this alone._

As the patrol began to make its way out of camp, Silentstorm passed some of the medicine cats. She paused as she noticed Finchwing crouched beside Blazeheart, who was oddly still. Panic flared in the blind she-cat. "What happened?" she demanded, approaching her brother with her pelt bristling in fear." Is he okay?"

As she approached, Blazeheart shifted, grunting in pain as he did. "Silentstorm?" he rasped.

"Your brother is going to be fine," Finchwing told the queen. "He was bitten on the neck, but Ambertalon managed to drag the cat off of him before the wound got too deep. He just needs to rest."

Silentstorm was dizzy with relief. She had already lost so much today – she didn't know what she would have done if she had lost her brother on top of it all. "Thank StarClan," she breathed.

"Silentstorm." The blind she-cat turned when she heard the call behind her. Darkbreeze was approaching her, flicking her tail wearily. "Heathertail and the others are waiting. We have to go."

Blazeheart gave a rasping mew. "Go on, Silentstorm," he told his sister. "I'll be fine."

Silentstorm hesitated a moment, then lowered her head. "Get some rest," she told her brother. "I'll be back soon, and tomorrow we can bring your kits and mine back to the forest." Blazeheart gave a weak purr in reply.

Once she'd finished saying goodbye, Silentstorm followed Darkbreeze, rejoining Heathertail's patrol. The patrol left the camp behind, the sounds of night all around them as they made their way through the moor.

* * *

Whew, this chapter ended up being longer than I expected. A bit of the plot had to be shifted into the next chapter, but I think I can fit it.

So yeah, Breeze is dead, his followers have fled, and I can't think of another way to continue that rhyme. :P The Clans have won their home back. Less dead cats in this chapter, but let's go over who led who to StarClan anyway.

Sol is... I'm not sure. I'd say Dark Forest, but did he really believe in StarClan? Maybe he just went *poof*. What do you guys think?  
Slugpaw was led to StarClan by Leopardstar because I can't think of any other fitting cat who was kin to him.  
Breeze is in the Dark Forest and was led there by no one.

It felt fitting that the cat of the prophecy and Breeze's daughters would be the one who killed Breeze in the end. I'd been planning that bit for a while. I was actually going to have Thicketpaw be the one of Nightfern's kits to die originally, but I fell in love with his name and his design, so I decided to switch which of her kits died. I couldn't bring myself to kill another Gorsepaw of WindClan, so Shadepaw it was. For the record, her warrior name was going to be Shadeflower.

I also want to confirm that Larksong was the cat I was talking about before, the cat that I planned on making Sedgewhisker's deputy, until I realized that she was in the nursery with newborn kits and that was maybe not the best idea. So I picked Heathertail instead, but now Larksong gets a chance to be deputy for real this time. ^^ I think she's a good fit for it. She's pretty calm and friendly, and doesn't buy into being aggressive to cats from other Clans just 'cause. She mentored Nightfern, I've decided, so she has indeed had an apprentice already.

Next chapter is going to be in Silentstorm's POV. Only two left to go, guys. ^^


	27. Chapter Twenty Five

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 5: Code of the Forest  
Chapter Twenty Five

The patrol traveled in weary silence across the moor. All of the cats were injured and exhausted from the day's battle, but no one complained or slowed down. Heathertail was at the front, her head held up in stiff determination as she led the Clan cats towards the horseplace. Icefur walked softly beside her new leader, her tail whisking quietly behind her. The medicine cat was the least injured of all of the cats, as she hadn't been part of the main fighting, but Silentstorm heard her wince from a scratch on her side, and one of her ears was nicked.

It seemed like moons had passed before they finally reached the horseplace. A cat was sitting guard outisde when they arrived; Silentstorm stiffened, wondering whether one of Breeze's cats was waiting for them, but it was just Stormpaw. "Oh good, you're here," the tom mewed, rising to his paws as the patrol approached. "We were getting worried." He hesitated, then mewed hopefully, "So does that mean it's over? We won?"

Heathertail gave a small nod. "Breeze is dead," she told the apprentice. "His followers had fled. The lake is ours again."

Stormpaw's tail shot up joyfully, a purr escaping him. "Thank StarClan! Come on on, you can help us with the kits." He disappeared into the barn, Heathertail and the patrol following after. Silentstorm wasn't even fazed anymore as they passed through the large doors into the twoleg nest – she'd had to deal with far worse in the city.

This den was even more welcoming than the stone barn. It had the same sort of shape and space, but instead of hard stone, it was made of wood, with soft hay and dust everywhere, and the scent of mice. Lightning was lying in her den, her kits by her belly – she gave a purr as the patrol approached. Another queen was sitting nearby, her back arched and tail lashing, a tom beside her. Duskpaw, Dewpaw, and Graypaw were organizing a small fresh-kill pile of mice, but they bounded over as the Clan cats arrived, mewing bright greetings.

"You're here," Lightning mewed by way of greeting. "Good. I assume it's over, then?"

Icefur nodded. "Breeze is dead," she told the queen.

Lightning hesitated. "And my father?" she asked gruffly, as though trying to seem like she didn't care. "What about Sol?"

Heathertail sighed. "I killed him," she told Lightning.

The queen said nothing for a moment. Then, she gave a slow nod. "He was a coward and a bully," she mewed bluntly. "I won't miss him. But he was my father."

"I'm sorry," Heathertail mewed, her tone softer now. "But I did what I had to to protect my Clan."

"I know that, and I don't blame you for it," Lightning mewed honestly.

The other queen and tom had been snarling when the Clan cats arrived, but after Icefur's words, they had stiffened, seeming stunned. "Breeze is _dead?_ " the she-cat repeated, fear in her mew.

"Yes," Darkbreeze said, a note of warning in her mew. "We killed him, so he couldn't hurt the Clans anymore."

Lightning sent a stern glare towards the couple. "Dotty, Redwood, it's over," she told them firmly. "Our campmates have fled, and Breeze is gone. There is no more war against the Clans. Now, you can ask the Clans for shelter for you and your kits, you can go peacefully, or we can drive you out of this place. It's your choice."

"Ask _them_ for shelter?" Dotty spat, sounding appalled. "Never!"

"Then leave." Lightning's growl left no room for argument.

Dotty hesitated, lashing her tail as she looked at the Clan cats. But the couple seemed to realize they were outnumbered. "Come on," Redwood murmured, helping his mate to her paws. "We can find somewhere away from the Clans to live. There's no point in putting our kits in danger."

The queen seemed unsteady on her paws as she rose, her belly heavy with her kits. For a moment longer she hesitated, before deflating. "Fine," she growled. "We'll go."

No cat objected as Redwood helped guide Dotty towards the entrance. They passed through, leaving Lightning and her kits alone with the Clan cats.

Heathertail glanced at Lightning. "And you're ready to move your kits out?" she asked.

Lightning dipped her head. "I know this place doesn't belong to me either," she mewed to Heathertail. "I'll take my kits and leave."

"The Clans and our allies are staying in Breeze's camp tonight," Darkbreeze mewed to Lightning in a friendly tone. "You can stay there tonight."

Lightning dipped her head. "Thank you," she mewed.

"What about Scorch's kits?" Duskpaw asked.

Silentstorm stiffened in shock. "Scorch's kits?" she repeated, dumbfounded. "Scorch had kits?" She had fought the massive she-cat herself, had delivered the blow that had left her near death. She hadn't realized that she had been a queen nursing kits. _My own milkscent must have stopped me from noticing hers,_ she thought.

Lightning nodded. "We were all surprised too – she had been more reserved than usual, we didn't see her as much around camp, but we figured she was just off doing Breeze's dirty work somewhere. But a quarter moon ago, she moved into horseplace, saying she was expecting. She gave birth to Breeze's kits three days ago."

The entire patrol seemed shocked now. " _Breeze's_ kits?" Darkbreeze repeated, mew shrill with shock. "He had more kits?"

Lightning pulled aside her tail, revealing the kits at her belly. There were five of them, two of them bigger and older than the others. They were all fast asleep at Lightning's side. "The dark ginger she-cat with white and the pale brown tabby are mine," she told the Clan cats. "Mouse and Oat. But the ginger tabby, the black she-cat, and the gray tom are Scorch and Breeze's kits. They hadn't named them yet." She blinked curiously at the Clan cats. "Where is Scorch? Was she killed?"

"As good as," Silentstorm murmured, still overcome with shock. Breeze had more kits. Darkbreeze and Nightfern had half-siblings, the kits of a cruel tyrant and his most loyal guard. Then, she gave her head a quick shake. Who cared who the parents of these kits were? They were innocent, and now that their parents were gone, they would have to be looked after.

Heathertail leaned in closer to get a look at her former mate's kits. Suddenly, she gasped, pulling away in shock. Eeltooth and Darkbreeze seemed confused by the she-cat's reaction, and Stripedclaw and Hawkbriar were holding back and couldn't see the kits well. But Specklefoot had stiffened too as she caught sight of Scorch's kits, her pelt bristling with shock. "It can't be..." she murmured, glancing at Heathertail.

"I know," she mewed, still sounding stunned. "It makes no sense. But she looks just like him."

Lightning seemed confused. "Who looks like who?" she asked, glancing down at the kits.

"That ginger tabby," Heathertail breathed. "She's the image of Firestar."

Silentstorm stiffened in shock, the other warriors reacting similarly. The kit looked like Firestar? Why did the kit of an exiled WindClan warrior and a rogue look like the legendary ThunderClan leader? "Are you sure?" she asked Heathertail.

"Positive," she said firmly. "I knew Firestar when he was alive. Other than the white on her throat, muzzle, nose, and paws, she's got the exact same flame-colored coat and tabby stripes."

"She's right," Specklefoot mewed, sounding puzzled. "I was only an apprentice when Firestar died, but I did get to see him at a Gathering. This kit looks just like him."

For several moments, no cat seemed to know what to say. Then, Icefur spoke up. "It doesn't matter why or how this kit looks like Firestar," she mewed firmly. "These three now have no parents. We have to figure out who is going to look after them."

"I want to help them, but I can't look after five kittens by myself," Lightning mewed.

"What about your mate?" Stripedclaw asked.

Before Lightning could speak, Hawkbriar shook her head. "I saw Rizzo kill Ferret," she mewed. "Her mate is dead."

Lightning shrugged. "I never wanted to be his mate anyway," she told the Clan cats. "He was one of Breeze's more loyal guards – when he asked me to be his mate, I only said yes because I knew at least my kits would be safer if their father was one of Breeze's guards." She glanced fondly at her kits, mewing, "Now, I can raise them away from Breeze and his revenge."

"So what, we're supposed to take in Breeze's kits?" Stripedclaw asked, sounding disdainful.

Darkbreeze whirled on the tabby. "Is there any reason why we shouldn't?" she growled, daring the tom to challenge her.

Stripedclaw seemed surprised at the she-cat's anger. "Well, they're Breeze's –"

"And so am I, and so is Nightfern," Darkbreeze retorted. "It doesn't matter who our father is. These kits are my siblings, and they're innocent."

Hawkbriar added coolly, "I think warriors who resemble a certain ancestor of theirs quite a bit shouldn't be so quick to judge other cats who were unfortunate in who their kin is." Stripedclaw lashed his tail, growling, but he did seem a bit ashamed. Silentstorm remembered that he was Dawnpelt's son, and some cat had told her he resembled the old Tigerstar a lot. It was rich for any descendant of Tigerstar to doubt the kits of another cruel cat.

Heathertail had been staring at Scorch's kits in silence for several moments, her tail flicking thoughtfully behind her. Finally, she said in a clear mew, "I'll raise them."

The other warriors fell silent, staring at the new WindClan leader in shock. "You?" Eeltooth repeated, sounding surprised.

"I've already raised one litter of Breeze's," Heathertail mewed firmly. "I can do it again. Someone has to make sure the Clans don't blame these kits for who their parents are." She shuffled closer to Lightning, leaning her muzzle down to nuzzle the kits gently. "I'll be their mother now."

"But you can't nurse them," Specklefoot pointed out.

Heathertail didn't look back at her as she said, "Honeyheart's milk has already come. I'll ask her to nurse these three – I don't think she'd refuse. But I will be their mother." Her firm tone left no room for argument. Silentstorm had been stunned as any of them at first, but now that she thought about it more, it seemed right. Another set of Breeze's kits in WindClan, and Breeze's old mate would raise them, and would make sure that they were raised right. She had raised two of the bravest and kindest cats in WindClan through Darkbreeze and Nightfern, and she could do it again.

Lightning was nodding slowly. "That sounds good," she mewed slowly. "I think you'll be a good mother to these kits." She glanced curiously at the queen. "What will you call them?"

Heathertail lapsed into thoughtful silence for a few moments. "The smallest one, the black she-cat, I'll call her Eaglekit after her white tail-tip," she mewed slowly. "The big pale gray tom can be Ashkit – he looks like Scorch, but he reminds me a little of Ashstar as well, and he's her kin." She paused for a moment, before continuing, "And the ginger tabby will be Firekit."

Every cat was silent for a few moments. Then, Heathertail drew herself up. "Icefur and I must continue to the Moonpool," she mewed clearly. "Will the rest of you be alright carrying the kits back yourself?"

Darkbreeze brushed her muzzle against her mother's. "We can manage," she promised her. "We'll meet you when you get back to the camp."

Heathertail purred softly. "Good. I'll be back by morning." After glancing once at Icefur, she and the medicine cat stated for the entrance. They left the barn behind, leaving the Clan cats with Lightning, and the kits.

 **SCENEBREAK**

The morning dawned cold and bleary. It was well into leaf-fall, and leafbare was closing in fast. Silentstorm shivered as she rose from her nest, only to sink back down with a hiss as her wounds twinged.

The Clans had spent the night after the battle in Breeze's camp, along with their allies. Vigils had been held for all of the dead, and they had been buried before dawn by some of the warriors. Heathertail had returned from the Moonpool some time after dawn, now called Heatherstar. She had received her nine lives, to the relief of every cat. Silentstorm knew the WindClan warriors were relieved to have a strong leader once again, and the other Clans were just happy to know that StarClan watched over them once more. Silentstorm's own dreams that night had been filled with the scent of starlight, and two pelts pressing against her own. _"_ _We will always be with you,"_ Jayfeather and Hollyleaf had murmured to her.

The next day, they had journeyed back to the horseplace, with most of their allies accompanying them. Strike had left pretty much as soon as he'd woken, saying he wanted nothing more to do with the Clans and that he was just glad Breeze was gone now and he could go back to being a rogue. Tansy had left as well, saying she wanted to get back to her housefolk quickly now that she was free to return to them. But the rest had decided to join the Clans on their journey back to the city, and help them move back into their homes. Silentstorm wondered if any would choose to join the Clans, and whether the leaders would extend the offer.

They had spent most of the day traveling, and it had been dark by the time they returned to the city. A few cats had gone hunting, but other than that, cats just took the chance to rest, recover from their wounds, and celebrate their victory with their Clanmates. Silentstorm had gone straight to her nest in the nursery, fetching Jaykit and Screechkit from Honeyheart, and keeping them close to her all of the night. She had fallen asleep with her daughters by her side again, and a feeling of peace and relief that she hadn't known in moons.

It was early the next morning when she was woken. Warriors and apprentices were moving around everywhere, breaking down dens and scattering moss nests, trying to disguise the fact that cats had ever lived there. Silentstorm kept Jaykit and Screechkit close to her while they worked, her pelt quivering with excitement. "We're going home soon, little ones," she murmured to her daughters as they squirmed and mewled. "Home. I can't wait to show you the camp. You'll love it."

Some time before sunhigh, the work was done. The Clans were ready to depart, with cats assigned to carry fresh-kill, and kits. Lightfoot was carrying Screechkit, while Silentstorm would carry Jaykit. As she heard cats murmuring to each other, there was both joy and sadness in their mews. This was the last time that all four Clans would live together like this. After today, they would have to go back to being enemies. Silentstorm couldn't imagine how, after how close the warriors had grown, they would ever go back to the way things were. Would the close friendships made be so easily set aside?

Before the Clans could leave, the leaders called one last meeting. Cats began moving towards the overturned blocks, ears perked. As Silentstorm followed the crowd, carrying Jaykit in her jaws, she heard Darkbreeze and Cosmo speaking nearby. She approached, giving a mumbled mew of greeting around the lump of fur in her jaws.

"Hey, Silentstorm," Darkbreeze mewed, but without any of the usual cheer. Her tone was heavy with sadness.

Silentstorm set Jaykit down in front of her paws, instantly aware something was up. "What's wrong?" she asked her friend.

Darkbreeze sighed, glancing at Cosmo. "We were just saying goodbye," she told Silentstorm quietly.

Silentstorm lowered her head. She couldn't say she was entirely surprised to hear that Cosmo wasn't coming with them, but she had hoped, for her friend's sake. "Then Cosmo isn't joining WindClan?"

Cosmo shook his head. "I can't," he said quietly, in a more serious tone than Silentstorm had ever heard from the cheerful tom. "I'm happy as a kittypet. I love my housefolk – I can't just leave them alone. And I wouldn't be happy as a warrior." He touched his nose to Darkbreeze's ear, taking in a shuddering breath. It was clear that he was not finding this decision easy. "But I'll miss you more than I can possibly say."

Darkbreeze's breath hitched. She pressed her head up against Cosmo's jaw for a moment, resting her head under his chin. "I'll miss you too," she whispered. After a moment, she took a step back, trying to collect herself. "But I have to stay loyal to my Clan."

The kittypet gave a sad sigh. "I understand," he murmured.

Silentstorm couldn't think of anything she could say to make her friend feel better. All she could do was touch her nose to Darkbreeze's cheek, murmuring, "Come on. The leaders are waiting." Darkbreeze gave a sad sigh. She, Silentstorm, and Cosmo joined the rest of the crowd, finding somewhere to sit as the meeting began.

Heatherstar began the announcements, her voice strong and clear as she called out, "Cats of all Clans, we have defeated Breeze's cats, and the lake is ours once again!" Cheers rang out from the crowd. Heatherstar waited for the cheers to die down before she continued. "Today, we will leave this city behind and return to where we belong. But first, on behalf of all Clan cats, I want to extend my sincere thanks to all of our allies." Rizzo sat at the front with the rest of the leaders. Before, Silentstorm had thought it somewhat odd, as Rizzo didn't have nine lives and wasn't any official sort of leader. Now, she knew that Rizzo deserved that spot as much as any leader. "If it weren't for your help, we would have never won our home back. The Clans will never forget the debt we owe to the cats of the city, and the campmates of Breeze who were brave enough to betray him."

Mistystar spoke next. "The four of us have spoken for some length, and we have decided to extend an invitation to all of our allies to join any Clan they wish. You have all shown the courage and loyalty of any warriors. We would be proud to have any of you in any of our Clans." She glanced first at the thin black she-cat beside her. "What about you, Rizzo?" she asked. "You have the courage of any Clan leader."

Rizzo flicked her tail. "Thank you, but no thank you, Mistystar," she mewed clearly. "I'm glad I could help you get your home back, but I'm happy as a kittypet, and I'm proud to help the cats here in the city. I wish you and your Clans luck, but I'm proud of who I am." There was so much strength and certainty in her tone, Silentstorm could imagine her as a nine-lived leader, with battle-ready warriors ready to follow her command. But she was a kittypet, and somehow, the two ideas didn't seem so distant in Silentstorm's mind anymore.

Mistystar dipped her head to the kittypet respectfully. "Then we respect your decision, and wish you well." She gazed back out into the crowd. "What of the rest of you?"

For a few moments, no cat spoke. Then, Cosima took a step forward. "Velma is gone," she rasped. "I won't ever be able to share my housefolk's nest with her again. I know nothing will be the same if I go back, and I'm just going to see all the things that remind me of her." She glanced at Bramblestar. "I would like to join ThunderClan, if you'll have me."

Bramblestar dipped his head to her. "We're honored to have you," he purred.

Hoover, who stood near Silentstorm, shuddered. "Thanks, but no thanks!" he called out quickly. "Being around this many cats is too much for me. I wanted to help you because I knew it was right, but I definitely don't want to live wild!"

"I'm with Hoover," Tenshu mewed. "I'm glad I was able to help you, but I'm no warrior. I'm happier as a loner."

Winnie and Cosmo also refused, but Maisie asked to join RiverClan, to Winnie's clear surprise. The two were apparently old friends. "I'll miss you dear," Maisie mewed as she touched her nose to Winnie's. "But I get lonely in my housefolk's nest, and I like these cats. I wouldn't mind seeing the rest of my days with them."

Scurry asked to join WindClan, and Moth asked to join ShadowClan. To Silentstorm's surprise, Ruckus and Scram chose to join, but they both chose a different Clan. Ruckus asked to join ThunderClan, while Scram chose to join ShadowClan. "But if you're in different Clans, you won't be able to hunt together and depend on each other like you have," she told the tom, who was sitting nearby. She knew how close the two cats were.

Ruckus shrugged. "It's not like we'll never see each other," he pointed out to Silentstorm. "And just because we're in different Clans doesn't mean we can't still be friends, or look after each other."

Silentstorm hesitated – she almost felt like the rogues didn't fully understand the divisions between Clans. Then, she thought of her own close friendships with cats from other Clans. Who was she to judge?

Oak rose to his paws, taking a shaky step towards the leaders. He had been badly injured during the battle, and one of his upper fangs had been snapped in half. The medicine cats had worried infection might set in, but after two days, he seemed much better. "I have a den outside of ThunderClan's territory," he called out to the leaders. "I'm happy there, and I want to get back to it. But now that I know you, I will always be a friend to the Clans. If there's ever anything I can do to help, just name it." He hesitated, then mewed, almost sounding embarrassed, "But could I ask one favor?"

"Go ahead," Heatherstar mewed warmly.

Oak gave a quick whisk of his tail before asking, "Could I have a warrior name? The Clans taught me a lot, and I have so many friends there now. I'd like to be connected to them by my name, if that's alright."

The crowd murmured in surprise. The leaders were silent for a few moments, exchanging glances. Finally, Mistystar spoke. "Warrior names are never given to those who are not warriors," she told Oak. Oak seemed to deflate for a moment. "But," Mistystar continued, "times have changed. You risked your life to help us get our home back, and you trained with us for moons. If any rogue was deserving of a warrior name, it's you."

She gestured with her tail, watching as Oak approached from from the crowd. She lifted her head, calling clearly, "I, Mistystar, leader of RiverClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this cat. He has fought hard to uphold the ways of your warrior code, and I commend him to you with his warrior name in his turn." She gazed down at the tom with a purr. "I ask no oath of you, as you have already proven you will defend the Clans even at the cost of your life. So by the power of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Oak, from this moment on you will be known as Oaktooth. StarClan honors your courage and your determination, and we welcome you as a friend to all Clans."

Oaktooth purred as he was granted his new name. The large rogue had to crouch in order for Mistystar to lay her chin over his bowed head. Cats began to call from the crowd, "Oaktooth! Oaktooth! Oaktooth!" The cats of the Clans seemed genuinely happy to see the rogue granted a warrior name.

The only one of the city allies who hadn't responded yet was Chipmunk. "What about you?" Tigerstar asked him, glancing curiously at the small tom. "Will you join a Clan?"

The small tom shook his head. "Thank you for the offer, but I prefer it on my own – well, not quite on my own." He cast an almost shy glance at Oaktooth. The newly-name rogue left the leaders behind, approaching Chipmunk and laying his chin over the smaller tom's head with a purr. "Oaktooth and I have talked about it, and I'm going to live with him now. So at least I'll be close to the Clans – maybe we'll see each other again some time."

Silentstorm purred as she heard Chipmunk give Oaktooth a small lick on the cheek. The small tom had been devastated when Oaktooth was injured in the battle, and he had stayed by his side as often as he could when he was recovering. It was clear that Chipmunk loved Oaktooth, and as Oaktooth purred now, she could tell he loved the smaller tom too. She was glad that they would be living close to ThunderClan. They had become good friends, and she hoped to see them again.

With all of the city cats having made their choices, the leaders turned next to Floss and her kits. "The horseplace is yours again, if you choose to return there," Heathertstar called to the small she-cat. "But you are welcome to join any Clan you like as well. What do you say?"

Floss dipped her head. "I'm grateful to the Clans for sheltering me and my kits for so long," she murmured. "But I'm not a Clan cat like my sister. All I want is to go back to the horseplace and feel safe again."

"I'm going with her," Little Whiskers mewed quietly. "I'm glad I fought beside the Clans, but I don't want a life of fighting – and I don't want to leave my mother alone."

Daffodil lifted her head. "Well, I want to join ThunderClan," she called out clearly. "It was Daisy's Clan, and I want to help protect the friends I've made there. I want the life of a warrior." She glanced up at Bramblestar, asking, "But I do have a request. Can I be called Littlepaw?" She glanced at Little Whiskers, mewing, "I want to carry a part of my family with me. And one day, I can be Littledaisy, and I can honor the queen who was a mother to us when we joined."

Bramblestar dipped his head. "Very well. From this moment on, until she has earned her warrior name, this cat will be known as Littlepaw. Sparktail will continue to be your mentor." Littlepaw gave a proud purr.

Mistystar glanced next at Night and her allies. "What do you cats say?" Mistystar asked. "The invitation includes you as well."

Lightning was the first to speak. "I would like my kits and I to join ThunderClan, if that's alright," she mewed clearly. "It'll be dangerous trying to raise kits on my own, and from what I've heard of the Clans, that's the kind of life I want my kits to have."

Tigerlily requested to join ShadowClan, while Sparrow asked to join RiverClan. Hurricane asked to join RiverClan, purring, "I've always liked the taste of fish." Silentstorm purred too – of all of Night's allies, Hurricane had been one of the cats she liked the best, with his calm, wise demeanor. RiverClan had gained a fine warrior.

Drizzle, however, refused the offer. "I wanted to make up for what I'd done, helping Breeze attack all of you," he explained. "But I don't think Clan ways are the right ways for me." Silentstorm knew that Drizzle had been the most doubtful of the Clans' way of life of the rogues, and was not surprised to see him refuse. "Good luck to you and yours, though."

The former warriors of ShadowClan all asked to rejoin their Clan. "We were wrong to betray ShadowClan like we did," Snow murmured. "We want to make up for it, and try to be the best warriors we can from now on." If Tigerstar still held any doubts about their loyalty, he didn't voice them.

"What about you, Night?" Mistystar asked the black she-cat. She was the only one who had not spoken yet. "Will you come back to WindClan?"

Night hesitated. There still seemed to be something untrusting about the she-cat, and she definitely seemed sadder now that her son was gone. "I don't know," she rasped. "Maybe it's better if I move on."

"You'd leave your sons kits?" Heatherstar asked, an edge to her tone.

"They might be better without me," Night murmured. "And I don't know if I can forgive the Clans, even now. If WindClan hadn't been the way it was, my son..."

Heatherstar padded towards Night, the crowd parting to let her approach. "Your son made his own choices," she growled. "And you made choices too – don't pretend it was just the other warriors who made Breeze the way he was. But you have a chance now to make things better. I will be raising your son's kits, but they need their family. You can make up for how you raised Breeze. You _owe_ it to these kits to try!"

For a few moments longer, Night hesitated. Then, she gave a small shake, drawing her head up. "Maybe you're right," she said, her tone stronger now. "I can't undo what was done to Breeze, not what I did and not what WindClan did. But if I can try and make it better for his kits, and for other WindClan kits, I have to try." She gazed evenly at Heatherstar for a few moments, before bowing her head respectfully. "I would like to join WindClan again, if that is alright, Heatherstar."

Heatherstar gave a small nod. "WindClan will be glad to have you again," she said simply.

With every cat having decided their fate, it was time for the Clans to leave. The cats that would be leaving with the warriors began saying their goodbyes to the other city cats. "I'll miss all of you," Rizzo said, touching noses with each cat in turn. "I hope you're happy with the choice you made today. And you know that I will always be here if you need me again." The Clan cats said their goodbyes to the city cats as well. Silentstorm murmured her goodbyes to the various friends she'd made, and she could hear other cats doing the same. Littlepaw was rubbing against her mother's side, purring, Tunnelshade and Cloudpaw saying their goodbyes to Hoover, Buffy mewing something to Tenshu and Chipmunk. The boundaries between Clan and Clan, Clan and kittypet, and any other had faded almost beyond recognition. Silentstorm almost felt regret that they had to leave the city behind now. What would life be like in the forest, now that the boundaries would be taken up again.

Once every cat had said their final farewells, Mistystar lifted her head. "Come, Clan cats," she called. "Let's go home."

* * *

Okay, wow this chapter is much longer than I was expecting. XD Sorry if the meeting got a little repetitive and monotonous at the end. I tried to make it a good balance of skipping over stuff, and showing the character's thoughts. I hope you liked what each cat decided. Oaktooth and Chipmunk are confirmed mates now, by the by, and Chipmunk is now a rogue instead of a loner. To me, the distinction between rogue and loner was always that a rogue had a defined territory that they defended, whereas loners kept no borders and didn't really stay anywhere that they claimed to own. But that's just me.

As for which cats will be getting warrior names or keeping their old names, I'll cover that next chapter. We'll be fast-forwarding a little bit, but only a few days. Only one chapter left, you guys! :D

Also, for those who didn't read Sushi's Society, there is indeed a reason why Firekit looks so much like Firestar. Scorch is the daughter of Sunny, who is the daughter of Scourge and a she-cat named Sushi. And since Scourge and Firestar are half-brothers, Firekit gets the flame-colored pelt through him - and also from Sunny, who inherited the flame-colored coat. I have posted reference sheets for all three kits on my deviantArt account, Jayie the Hufflepuff.

For full descriptions of each kit - Firekit is a flame-colored ginger tabby she-cat with a white muzzle, nose bridge, throat, and paws. She inherited her father's (or close enough to the color) amber eyes. She's named after Firestar. Eaglekit is an unusually tiny black she-cat with a white tail-tip, the same size and rounded body structure as Scourge, and golden eyes inherited from Scorch and Sushi, her black pelt from Breeze and Scourge. She's named after her white-tipped tail, like a bald eagle, but also after Ashstar's lost son Eaglekit. Ashkit is a large pale gray tom with ice-blue eyes and one white paw, inheriting his size and pale gray fur from his mother, and his eyes and paw from Scourge. As stated, he's named after Ashstar.

Mouse is a dark ginger tabby she-cat with a white chest and paws, and green eyes. Oat is a pale brown tabby tom with pale green eyes. Lightning named them after aspects of Horseplace, since that was where she was living when she had them. Also, Oaktooth was named after his skill in fighting, but mostly after his broken tooth, which was broken in the service of the Clans.

I think I covered everything here. Sorry again for how long this chapter is. I'm gonna hopefully post the last chapter tonight - I can't wait for what's ahead. ^^


	28. Chapter Twenty Six

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 5: Code of the Forest  
Chapter Twenty Six

"Cats of all Clans, this Gathering has begun!"

Blazeheart held is head high, purring loudly. It had been a few days since they Clans had returned to their homes by the lake, and now, the time for the Gathering had come once again.

He and the other warriors stood on the grassy ground of the Gathering island, standing beneath the Great Tree for the first time in what felt like seasons. The leaders were standing on the usual branches overhead, staring proudly down at their warriors.

In the days since returning to the forest, Blazeheart'd had to get used to not having the other Clans around, and to living in the stone hollow again. It was both a relief to be back, and somehow sad. Blazeheart missed being able to go hunting with Larksong and Oddtail, being scolded by Rizzo, and knowing that he had no enemies except those that threatened all Clans.

He wasn't the only one; most of his Clanmates seemed to miss the friends they'd left behind. But now, under the light of the full moon, the Clans could meet peacefully again. Blazeheart was quick to meet up with Larksong and Nightfern, and he could hear his Clanmates purring loudly as they greeted their own friends. Silentstorm had gone straight for Darkbreeze, Eeltooth, and Specklefoot. They all sat together now, looking up at the leaders.

Bramblestar spoke first. "Cats of all Clans, this is the first Gathering we have held on this island in six moons. The lake belongs to us once again, the place that StarClan chose for us!" Cheers rose from the crowd. Blazeheart felt pride flaring in his own heart. His sister had helped kill Breeze, stopping the battle and saving the Clans.

He continued, "Ruckus has become a warrior of our Clan, and has taken the name Badgercloud. Cosima has also become a warrior, but has chosen to keep her name. Lightning has become Lightningstrike, a queen of our Clan, and her kits have been named Mousekit and Oatkit. ThunderClan is settling well back into our home in the stone hollow, and we know now that we can defend our home from any threat."

Cats began to cheer for the new members of ThunderClan. "Badgercloud! Cosima! Lightningstrike!" Blazeheart could see Badgercloud now, sitting beside Scram and holding his head up proudly. Cosima sat nearby too, purring as her name was mentioned. Lightningstrike was in the crowd as well – originally, she had planned to stay in camp to look after her kits, but Sunnyflower had offered to look after them for the night.

His report over, Bramblestar sat back on his branch. Mistystar stood next, calling out, "RiverClan welcomes two new warriors tonight. Hurricane has chosen to keep his name, but has been recognized as a full warrior of RiverClan. Cloudpaw proved his courage in the battle against Breeze, and has been rewarded with his full name, Cloudshade. Maisie has joined Graymist in the elder's den, and has also chosen to keep her name."

"Hurricane! Cloudshade! Maisie!" Cheers rang out for the new members of RiverClan. Blazeheart saw Maisie sitting with some of the other elders, dipping her head with a purr as her name was called. Hurricane was sitting beside Minnowtail and Finstrike, holding his chin up proudly.

Mistystar hesitated for a moment. Blazeheart saw her glance towards one fluffy tortoiseshell in the crowd, and realized what she was about to announce. "On the day we departed, Dewpaw of ThunderClan asked to join RiverClan. She wanted to be with the couple who raised her. She is now an apprentice of RiverClan, being trained by Hurricane. Rosepaw and Poppypaw's mentors died in the battle, so they are now being trained by Heronstrike and Minnowtail, respectively."

Blazeheart glanced at Dewpaw, who stood now with some of the other apprentices. He remembered when she had asked Bramblestar to let her join RiverClan instead. "Grasspelt just lost his sister," she had told Bramblestar. "Blossomfall and Mousewhisker are both dead, I don't have any parents in ThunderClan. But Silvershine and Grasspelt raised me. I want to be there for them."

He couldn't help but glance at Shadowstripe, who sat beside him now at the Gathering. Curiosity pricked at the back of his mind. Blazeheart leaned his muzzle closer, mewing curiously to the tom, "Have you thought about whether you would want to join ShadowClan?" He knew the tom had struggled with this loyalty in the past, and that he had family in ShadowClan. Would he want to be there with them instead?

Shadowstripe glanced back at the older warrior. Blazeheart was surprised by the calm expression he wore, something almost like amusement in his gaze. "I've thought about it," he mewed honestly. "But after living so many moons with all four Clans, I've realized that living in one Clan doesn't mean I can't protect and care about another. I'll always care about my family in ShadowClan, but ThunderClan is where I feel at home." Mischief sparked in his gaze as he added, "And I'll always fight for the Clan I think is in the right, not just the one that gives me orders. Something I learned from my mentor."

Blazeheart's whiskers twitched. Shadowstripe's statement was a bold one, but Blazeheart couldn't bring himself to disagree. If living with the other Clans the last few moons had taught him anything, it was that the borders between the Clans weren't as strong as some cats pretended – and that sometimes they shouldn't be. "Silentstorm trained you well," he mewed, making Shadowstripe purr.

Up on the Great Tree, Mistystar retreated, letting Heatherstar take over. "I have been given my nine lives and name, and have become the new leader of WindClan!" Heatherstar announced in a strong tone. "Larksong has been appointed as my new deputy." She gazed out into the crowd, purring proudly. "We bring news of new warriors tonight! Palepaw lost her mother and brother in the battle, but she showed courage in defending her Clanmates. She is now Palestripe. Scurry has also been accepted as a warrior, with the full name of Runningleaf, as has Sparrow, who is now Sparrowcloud." She paused for a moment. "Night has taken back her place as a warrior of WindClan, and has reclaimed her name Nightcloud." The black she-cat in question lifted her chin, pride gleaming in her amber eyes once more.

"Palestripe! Runningleaf! Sparrowcloud! Nightcloud!" The voices rang clear and strong through the clearing, every cat cheering for the new WindClan warriors.

"We have also taken in three new kits," Heatherstar announced. "I have adopted the kits of Scorch and Breeze as my own. Ashkit, Eaglekit, and Firekit will be raised to be warriors of WindClan. May their future, and the future of WindClan, be bright."

With her report over, Heatherstar sat. Tigerstar was the last to make his report. He waited a few moments before standing, his expression heavy with thought. Blazeheart felt a brush of curiosity – why did the tom look so serious?

"We have new warriors with us tonight as well," Tigerstar began, something serious in his tone. "Tigerlily has been welcomed as a full warrior of ShadowClan, as has Moth, who has taken the name Mothear, and Scram, who has taken the name Foxfoot. Snowbird, Stoneclaw, and Pinenose have all taken their names back as well, and have regained their place as warriors of ShadowClan."

Tigerstar hesitated for a few moments, his head bowed. Blazeheart almost believed his report was over, until he lifted his head again, something determined blazing in his amber eyes. "Before we return to our Clans tonight, there is one more thing I would like for us to decide as one Clan," he called out, speaking every word slowly and clearly. "This isn't something that has been done before. But if the last few moons have taught us anything, it is that we need to adapt and change our ways in order to survive."

This set off uneasy murmurs in the crowd. Blazeheart felt his own pelt prickling – what could Tigerstar possibly be talking about? The other leaders seemed uneasy as well, but after a few glances at each other, Mistystar dipped her head to Tigerstar. "What do you want us to decide?" she asked carefully.

Tigerstar brought up his chin, giving a proud lash of his tail. "I want the leaders of the four Clans to vote on removing a law from our warrior code, and replacing it with two more." The words were spoken carefully, but with no hesitation – this was clearly something that Tigerstar had thought about for quite some time.

His suggestion caused several shocked cries from the crowd, but if the leaders were equally shocked, they didn't show it. "We have never removed laws from our code before," Mistystar reminded Tigerstar. "Added new ones, yes, and voted against new ones. But four leaders have never decided to do away with a law that four of our predecessors have already agreed upon."

The dark tabby dipped his head to the elderly she-cat. "I understand this," he rumbled. "But times change, and not all of the laws in our code are honorable. It is our duty as leaders to try and make our Clans the best that they can be. And if Breeze was right about anything, it is that our warrior code does not do justice to every cat. We have to change that."

There was silence for several moments. "Very well," Mistystar finally said. "What code would you have us remove, and what new laws would you have replace it?"

Tigerstar glanced back at the crowd, speaking now to every cat. "I propose that we remove the law that states a warrior rejects the soft life of a kittypet," he called out. "No warrior should live the life of a kittypet, but how can we call ourselves honorable if our very code calls us to scorn and mock cats who are just trying to live their lives? We owe our lives to kittypets – we owe them our respect."

Surprise flicked in Mistystar's eyes, but she didn't seem angered. Heatherstar and Bramblestar both looked thoughtful. "What are the new laws you would have us replace this one with?" Bramblestar asked.

"First, that a warrior must live by the warrior code, but should understand and respect that there are other honorable ways for a cat to live," Tigerstar rumbled. "No warrior should scorn a good cat for living differently than them." He lashed his tail, letting his words sink in for a few moments before moving on. "Second, cats who follow the warrior code should be respected as true Clan cats, no matter their past or their heritage. A warrior's loyalty comes from their actions, not from their blood." He sighed, glancing at Pinenose, Snowbird, and Stoneclaw as he added, "Too much blood has been shed over the disrespect of those without pure blood. We must extend the warrior code to protect them, and make our Clanmates see that they are as true of Clan cats as any Clanborn cats."

Blazeheart was starting to feel excitement creep through his pelt, as well as surprise. He was watching Clan history happen right in front of him. The last time the warrior code had been changed, it had been before any living cat had been born, and a law had never been taken away like this. And who would have thought, after everything the old Tigerstar did to try and destroy impure cats and encourage prejudice, that it would be another Tigerstar who would try and unite cats of all kind together under the warrior code? _Things really have changed for the better,_ he thought. Though some cats still seemed stunned, and a few even uneasy, most cats were chattering with excitement. Blazeheart caught sight of Buffy and Vinescar, looking up at their leader with pride and appreciation.

Tigerstar looked up at each of his fellow leaders in turn. "What do you say?' he asked boldly. "Will you accept these changes to the warrior code?"

The other leaders were silent for a long time. Finally, Mistystar spoke. "I have seen cats killed in the name of pure blood," she growled, anger flashing in her ice-blue eyes. "Too long, the Clans have thought it acceptable to mock those devoted to the warrior code who cannot control where they come from. I agree whole-heartedly to these changes in the warrior code. If we make it a part of our code that loyal warriors of any blood must be accepted, then maybe no cat will have to suffer my brother's fate again."

Heatherstar spoke next. "I have mocked ThunderClan for their tendency to take in strays in the past," she admitted, flicking her tail. "I thought only those with Clan blood could ever really understand what it was to be a Clan cat. But now, Rizzo and the other city cats have shown me that any cat, whether kittypet, rogue, or Clan cat, can live and fight with honor and courage. I support these changes to the warrior code."

Every cat's eyes turned to Bramblestar. If he agreed to the changes, the last law of the warrior code would be cast aside, replaced with the two new codes. The ThunderClan leader was silent for several moments, his head bowed, apparently lost in thought. Blazeheart held his breath as he waited for his leader to make his decision. Finally, he lifted his head, amber eyes glowing in the darkness. "My father lived his life in hate and blood," he called out for every cat to head. "He was obsessed with blood purity, and thought that a cat who was halfClan, or born a kittypet, could never be truly loyal to any one Clan. Through his hatred, he nearly destroyed us all. I've made my mistakes, but since becoming warrior of ThunderClan, I have tried to do everything my power to counter the mistakes of my father."

He paused, his gaze sweeping his warriors in the crowd. "Only a pawful of my warriors are pure ThunderClan by blood," he rumbled. "Times have changed greatly from when we were a pure Clan. But I would never doubt the loyalty of a single one of my warriors. I know they would die to defend their Clanmates, and the warrior code. The warrior code should do everything in its power to protect them, in turn. And if our code disrespects the lives of cats like Rizzo and the others, how could we ever ask their help, and expect their respect."

The dark tabby looked at Tigerstar, the two toms nearly identical as they gazed at each other. "I accept these new changes to the warrior code," Bramblestar called out strongly. "Let the law of a warrior rejecting a kittypet's life be stricken from our code, and replaced with these new codes."

Blazeheart let out the breath he'd been holding. It was done, then. The warrior code no longer charged warriors to scorn the life of a kittypet, and now it called them to respect all good cats, and to respect any warrior no matter their blood. He felt a thrill of joy, fiercer than before. The Clans had claimed the lake as their home again, and had learned from the experiences of the city. They had become more united, more compassionate, and more honorable. Blazeheart was a father now, and Silentstorm had daughters to love and look after. Best of all, Breeze was dead, and could never threaten the Clans again. Even with leafbare approaching, the future had never looked brighter for the Clans.

Suddenly, the darkness seemed to grow greater, the silver moonlight that was cast over the crowd fading away. Blazeheart heard cats exclaiming in fear, huddling together as they looked towards the sky. His heart lurching his chest, Blazeheart looked up as well.

The tom froze as he saw what had spooked the other cats so much. During the announcements, it had been a perfectly clear night, the moon and stars shining brightly overhead. But now, clouds had come out of nowhere, covering the moon and blocking out its light. Blazeheart felt his hackles rising eerily. _Is StarClan displeased with us?_ he wondered, stunned. _But why? We're more united than ever now, and the forest is at peace!_

His unease only grew as the clouds extended, pushing out and out until they had no only blocked the moon, but the stars as well. The thick blackness blotted out each light from Silverpelt, until there was nothing left but blackness in the sky, and the forest was thrown into total darkness. Blazeheart gasped, feeling his pelt start to tremble. Whatever this was, it wasn't StarClan. It couldn't be. They covered the moon during Gatherings to show their displeasure if there was fighting, but they had never left the Clans in a darkness like this. Whatever this was, it had to be something much darker than StarClan.

Suddenly, his mind was cast back to the prophecy. _Dark times are coming. Only blind loyalty and silent sacrifice can save the Clans._ He had thought that the prophecy only referred to Breeze and his cats, and by gathering allies and killing Breeze, that his sister had fulfilled it. But whenever cats spoke of the prophecy, they always said she was destined to "stop the darkness." And now, with this terrifying omen, Blazeheart had to wonder. What if the prophecy hadn't referred to Breeze? What if something even darker was waiting for the Clans, and this was just the warning?

After several moments, the clouds began to dissipate, evaporating into nothing. The island was cast in bright silver moonlight once again. But the fear was still there. Black clouds covering the sky during a Gathering, after their greatest triumph, had every cat scared and wondering what it could mean. But Blazeheart felt more fear than all of them.

 _The darkness is still to come,_ he realized, rooted to the spot in horror. _And when it comes, it will come for my sister._

END OF BOOK FIVE

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Alright, so, some announcements and some notes. ^^

First, this is not quite the end of Code of the Forest. There will be *drumroll*... three bonus chapters! Surprised? So am I! I only had the idea to add these a few days ago, and after some thought I decided to go with it. It's a scene that I've known about and had in my head for a while, but there was never really a place to fit it in the story, and I didn't think it was super-important to show. But now I see that it would fit well as bonus chapters for this book, and it will give insight into a character who's become more important now. So stay tuned for those bonus chapters – I'll try to have the first one posted tomorrow. I finished the main twenty-six chapters inside of a month, but I would still like to get the whole thing done inside of a month, so I'll try to have two of the chapters up tomorrow and one on Monday. :D

Second announcement – before starting on book six, I will be posting a second novella. I'll get started on that once the bonus chapters are done.

Now for some notes. We'll start with the reasons behind some of the new warrior names. Badgercloud was named after how he's big and black-and-white like a badger, and also tough like one, and -cloud is for the white patches and because I thought it sounded cool. :P Foxfoot is named for being lanky and ginger, like a fox, for her white front legs, and her quickness and cleverness in battle and in hunting. Mothear is named for his large ears, Lightningstrike for her careful and hard demeanor. Runningleaf is named because, like Scurry, it highlights her speed and skittishness. Sparrowcloud is named for his white pelt and looking smaller and not as tough as some of the other cats. Palestripe is named for her pale stripes, and Cloudshade for being darker in color.

I felt like it would be right if one of Silvershine's adopted kits joined her in RiverClan. I thought for a while about which apprentice it should be before deciding on Dewpaw. It just felt right. So now only three of Blossomfall's kits are apprentices of ThunderClan. Dewpaw making that decision, and the conversation with Shadowstripe, was actually supposed to be in the last chapter (and in Silentstorm's POV), but I completely forgot to add it in, so I had to squeeze it into this chapter.

As for the change in the warrior code, it might have been based off of Bramblestar's storm in part, I'm not sure, but I tried to do it in a unique way. I've actually had this idea floating around since the beginning of Waning Moon. This suggestion from Tigerstar was actually going to come in the chapter where he announces his new kittypet warriors at the Gathering, so as to make them more accepted, and to show that he wasn't going to accept Shrew's type of thinking. But I realized it was too soon in the series for a big change like that, and it didn't feel earned yet. So I waited, and I realized that this, after the battle with Breeze and having so many nonClan allies, would be the perfect time to introduce this change. I wanted to see the Clans acknowledge that they're not perfect, that they carry prejudices, but also that they're willing to try and be better.

I think that's everything I wanted to cover. Like I said, the bonus chapters will be coming out soon, and then it's novella time, and /then/ we'll get to book six. Sorry for the wait guys, but hopefully it'll be worth it. I hope you guys like the bonus chapters, and I'll see you then!


	29. Bonus Chapter One

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 5: Code of the Forest  
Bonus Chapter One

The warm greenleaf breeze blew gently through the nursery walls, pushing past the gorse bush and into the hollow den below. It threaded through the tabby's fur, warming her pelt and soothing her. She gave a soft purr, lowering her head back onto her paws. At her belly were two newborn kits, pawing at her sides and nursing. The queen gave a contented sigh. She had never felt so happy before in her life.

As she lay there, a black tom pushed through the gorse entrance, a rabbit hanging from his jaws. The tabby gave a soft purr. The father of her kits had come to visit his daughters.

"Hello, Heathertail," he purred, dropping the rabbit and coming to rub his head against the top of hers. "I wanted to make sure you had enough to eat." He cast his warm amber gaze on the two kits by Heathertail's belly. "Hello, little ones," Breezepelt purred.

Heathertail purred too, touching her nose to Breezepelt's ear. "They're hungry together," she mewed warmly. "The gray one keeps wriggling. I think she's going to be a little fighter." It had been two days since their kits had been born. They had two daughters, a little brown she-cat with mottles and a white face, and a dark gray tabby she-cat. The dark tabby had Breezepelt's dark coat, but Heathertail fancied they both looked a fair bit like her as well.

Breezepelt crouched to get a closer look at his daughters, purring deeply. Heathertail felt a brush of concern as she looked at her mate. She wasn't in love with Breezepelt – at least, not in the way she had been with Lionblaze. But after she'd lost Lionblaze, Breezepelt had become her best friend, her shoulder to cry on, and the cat she trusted and liked most. She wasn't in love with him, but there was some kind of attraction there, something more than just being friends. Either way, when he had asked her to be his mate, she had accepted. She got the feeling that he loved her more than she loved him, but she did love and care about him, and he didn't seem to mind that she wasn't entirely in love with him.

But as accepting as Breezepelt was of there relationship, Heathertail couldn't help but worry about him. The tom had been acting strangely the last few moons. Breezepelt had always been grumpy, but now he was outright hostile and aggressive to any cat who breathed in his direction. The only cats who didn't seem to inspire wrath in him these days were Nightcloud, Heathertail, and his kits. But his aggressive behavior still worried Heathertail a lot. He had nearly started a fight with Leaftail over a hare the younger tom had scared away, and he, Sunstrike, and Furzepelt always seemed to be muttering to each other and casting glares at the other cats.

Heathertail knew very well the source of her mate's unhappiness. _Crowfeather._ The gruff tom had always been a terrible father to Breezepelt. He had ignored his son most of his life, barely acknowledging him even when Breezepelt made every effort to please him. A few seasons ago, it had been revealed that he had kits with Leafpool in ThunderClan. Heathertail knew Crowfeather would never admit it, but she got the feeling he cared more about his kits in ThunderClan than about his son in WindClan. Breezepelt had been furious when he'd found out. He'd declared that he would never trust his father again, if he was willing to have kits with some ThunderClan medicine cat. Since then, he'd shown nothing but hatred for Crowfeather, and had become increasingly hostile with every cat in his Clan, who had known about Leafpool's affair with Crowfeather but had never bothered to tell him.

Breezepelt was jealous of his half siblings, that much was clear, and he resented Crowfeather for caring more about them than him. Heathertail couldn't begrudge him his anger – she knew he had been poorly treated. She only hoped that Breezepelt would be able to let go of his anger over time, and his grudge against his father, and instead focus on the love he had for his daughters. She wanted him to be a good father, for his sake and for the sake of their kits.

"Do you think we should name them now?" Breezepelt asked, glancing at Heathertail. They hadn't named their kits right away, instead taking some time to think of proper names, each cat picking a kit to name. After two days, Heathertail thought she had the right name for the little brown she-cat.

She nodded. "The brown one should be Nightkit," she mewed, "after your mother." Nightcloud had been devoted to the kits ever they'd been born, doting on them and cooing over them and giving Heathertail parenting advice. She could be rather snobbish and overbearing at times, but Heathertail certainly appreciated her love for the kits.

Breezepelt nodded, warmth in his gaze. "That sounds perfect," he purred. He glanced at the dark gray tabby. "I think she should be Darkkit," he murmured. There was something dark in his gaze for a moment, something worse than just the blustering anger he usually showed. It sent a chill through Heathertail's pelt. Then, he gave a quick shake of his head, and the look was gone just as soon as it had come. "For her dark pelt," he clarified.

After a moment, Heathertail nodded. "Good name," she mewed quietly. But inside, she couldn't help the prickle of worry in the back of her mind. What had caused the dark expression on Breezepelt's face? Was there some other reason he had given his daughter the name Darkkit, some reason she couldn't see? For some reason, she felt uneasy as she gaze down at Darkkit. What kind of father was Breezepelt going to be, carrying that much anger with him? Maybe she should have a talk with him, and try to make him see that letting go of his anger was the best thing he could do for his daughters.

She was distracted from her thoughts as another cat pushed through the nursery entrance. The black she-cat gave a quick shake as she stepped into the den, blinking as her sight adjusted to the light. Nightcloud's gaze warmed as it fell upon the kits, a purr escaping her. "I came to see if you needed anything," she told Heathertail. "It looks like you already have plenty to eat." She cast a glance at the rabbit, then back at her son with a fond purr.

"I'm fine, thank you Nightcloud," Heathertail purred. "We've named the kits now, though."

Nightcloud's gaze lit up. "Really?" She came closer, sitting near the couple and their kits. "What are their names?"

Breezepelt nuzzled the kits gently with his muzzle. "The dark tabby is Darkkit," he told his mother. "And the brown she-cat is Nightkit, after you." He blinked warmly at his mate, mewing, "Heathertail thought of it."

The black she-cat paused, looking touched. "I'm honored," she murmured, gazing lovingly at the brown kit. Nightkit squirmed a little, pressing her paws against Heathertail's belly as she fed. After a moment, Nightcloud gave a quick shake of her head. "Well, just make sure you get enough to eat, Heathertail. You'll want your kits to be big and strong if they're going to get through leafbare."

Heathertail gave a patient nod, while Breezepelt rolled his eyes. "It's the middle of greenleaf," He pointed out to his mother. "Prey hasn't been so plentiful in seasons. I don't think Heathertail's going to starve any time soon. They'll be close to becoming apprentices by the time leafbare arrives."

Nightcloud gave her son a pitying look. "You can never be too careful," she chided the tom, stretching herself out on the ground near Heathertail. "You have no idea how quickly things can change. A kit can be fine one moment, then weak and sick the next. You have to know how to care for them properly."

Heathertail listened with affected patience as Nightcloud began to spell out her advice on looking after kits. The black she-cat was definitely overbearing, quite sure of her methods in parents, even though Heathertail had her doubts – she knew the she-cat had spoiled Breezepelt to no end. But she knew that Nightcloud did what she did out of love. While she could be a pawful to deal with, it was better than the alternative.

The she-cat felt a brush of frustration as she thought about the other parent of her kits' father. Crowfeather had only been in to see the kits once since they'd been born. Heathertail often saw him in camp, eating his prey alone, or talking with the other warriors, but he rarely so much as looked at the nursery.

It frustrated Heathertail to the tips of her pelt that Crowfeather seemed to want nothing to do with his young kin. His grumpiness and sharp tongue had amused her when she was his apprentice, and in a way she still cared about him. He had been the one to train her, after all. But she couldn't forgive him for how he treated his son, and how he already seemed to be treating her daughters. Onestar and Whitetail both doted on the kits, and Nightcloud never seemed to be out of the nursery. Crowfeather was the only one who seemed determined to act like the kits didn't exist.

It wasn't just Crowfeather's behavior that filled her worried thoughts these past days. A strange sort of tension seemed to be building. Strange scents had been found in the territories of all four Clans. The medicine cats had declared that the Clans should stand apart as enemies, and ThunderClan's medicine cat, Jayfeather, had been accused of murder. No cat seemed to know who to trust anymore, and battle between the Clans seemed imminent, as the tensions mounted more and more by the day. She herself had been a part of the failed attack on ThunderClan, led by Sol. She believed that ThunderClan's arrogance needed to be checked, and that Jayfeather should be brought to justice for killing Flametail. But now that it seemed full war was ready to break out, she wondered whether she had just helped make things worse. _I don't want my kits to grow up in a world torn apart by war._

Heathertail gave a quick shake of her head, trying to banish the gloomy thoughts. She couldn't change what Crowfeather had already done to Breezepelt, she couldn't do much to stop him from acting like a foxheart now, and she couldn't stop the Clans from fighting. But at least she knew her kits would have a better kithood than Breezepelt had – they had both a mother and a father who loved them dearly.

And if war did come, they would defend their kits together with their lives.

 **SCENEBREAK**

"Get away from her, foxheart!"

Heathertail rose up on her hind legs, grappling with the snarling tom, sending him back to the ground fleeing with a fierce bite to his neck. She fell back onto her front paws, panting and shaking from her wounds. She stood protectively before Darkkit, who she had stuffed behind her in the heather edging the camp, after saving her from the tom who had tried to steal her. Darkkit had some wounds on her sides from where the tom had bitten down to carry her, but otherwise she seemed alright. Heathertail scooped her up in her jaws, carrying her swiftly back to the nursery.

It had been a moon and a half since the birth of her kits. The tensions between Clan and Clan had only grown worse, but it wasn't a living Clan that was attacking her Clan today. As she carried her daughter back to the nursery, the camp was in chaos all around her. Onestar roared as he was swarmed by cats, Ashfoot rushing to his side to defend him. Sedgewhisker shrieked as a she-cat bit down hard on her flank, another tom swiping at her shoulder. Mallownose stumbled away from one tom, his shoulder bleeding heavily. Whiskernose and Hazeltail were fighting back to back, meeting the attacks of three other cats, but it was clear they were exhausted.

The queen felt the hair on the back of her neck beginning to rise. These weren't living cats who were attacking her Clanmates at all, but the dark spirits that lived in the Place of No Stars, the spirits of cats who had chosen cruelty and murder in their lives. They had come to the world of the living, and now they were trying to destroy the Clans.

Heathertail remembered when Onestar and Kestrelflight had made the announcement that the Dark Forest cats would be attacking the Clans soon, and that they would be letting warriors of other Clans into their camp to help defend them. Just a few days ago, they had been ready to go to war with the other Clans – now they were supposed to fight side by side like Clanmates? And even harder to believe, that their enemies in the battle ahead were dark cats coming back to kill them? But the horrible proof was in front of her eyes right now. These horrible cats had come back from the dead, and if they didn't get help soon, they would kill her and every cat in her Clan.

She finally reached the nursery again, ducking quickly inside and setting Darkkit back on her nest. Leaftail was standing guard over Nightkit. He bared his fangs as Heathertail pushed through the gorse entrance, only to relax as he recognized her. "A few of them tried to come in while you were gone, but I drove them off," he grunted.

Heathertail dipped her head quickly to the tom. "Thank you," she said, trying to portray all of her gratitude in the quick exchange. "I need to keep an eye on the entrance. Keep an eye on the kits for me?"

Leaftail gave a grunt in reply, which Heathertail took as a "yes." She turned and padded to the entrance, peering up from under the gorse bush to the camp beyond.

Her stomach rolled as she realized even more Dark Forest cats had poured into the camp. _We can't possibly fight this many cats!_ she thought, terror washing over her. _StarClan help us!_

Suddenly, some of the Dark Forest's forces turned, attacking their own Clanmates. Heathertail watched, stunned, until she realized that these weren't Dark Forest cats at all. They were living warriors. "We won't fight for you either!" Heathertail recognized the yowl of Birchfall, a ThunderClan warrior.

"I fight for the _Clans!_ " That came from Applefur of ShadowClan. She was facing down a dark brown tabby, similar to Brambleclaw of ThunderClan if not for his white belly and ice-blue eyes.

The tom's eyes blazed with fury. "Then we shall kill you first, before we destroy your wretched Clans!" He reared up, roaring with rage as he attacked Applefur.

The battle raged on, these new warriors helping to defend WindClan from the Dark Forest cats. Heathertail didn't understand why these warriors had accompanied the Dark Forest cats in the attack in the first place, or why they had turned on them now, but she couldn't worry about that now. All she could do was defend the nursery, and her kits, and pray that the warriors would be able to drive the Dark Forest cats away. She couldn't join them in the fight – she had to defend her kits. They needed her.

But that thought, and all other rational thought, flew from her head when she saw two cats locked in battle. A black tom was fighting her Clanmate, Swallowtail. Swallowtail tried to slip to one side, but a blow from the black tom unbalanced her, and she was sent crashing to the ground. Before Swallowtail could right herself, the black tom's claws came slicing down across her belly. She gave one agonized shriek, before slumping back against the ground, her eyes glazed over. The warrior was dead.

Horror and shock nearly carried Heathertail off of her paws as the black tom looked up. She recognized all too well the hateful gleam of his amber eyes, and his sleek black pelt, his tail held high as he gave a victory yowl.

" _Breezepelt!_ "

* * *

Yep, so we're gonna be following Heatherstar for the bonus chapters. ^^

This isn't super-vital to the plot of EOTW and doesn't really reveal anything new that's important for future events, but I thought it would be nice to see more of Heatherstar's motivations on a few things. The first of which being, why did she become mates with Breeze, and was she really in love with him? The second of which being, how did she feel when Breeze betrayed the Clan? And third, how did Crowfeather go from totally ignoring his son and neglecting him, to being the doting grandfather that Darkbreeze and Nightfern describe him to be?

Also, we get to see Darkbreeze and Nightfern as little kittens! :D Nightfern is indeed named after Nightcloud, as said here. I had a really interesting thought about why Breeze might have named his daughter Dark. It is after the Dark Forest, in way, but not in a cruel "I hate her and she can go in the Dark Forest for all I care" way, in a "the Dark Forest taught me to be strong and survive when the cats who should have loved me hurt me, and I want my daughter to be able to be strong like that so cats can't hurt her like they hurt me, and I learned that from the darkness". So, not quite as creepy as the first option, but still kind of creepy. :P

Some of the dialogue here during the battle is pulled from The Last Hope, as is which cats are in camp and so on.

I will post again soon. ^^


	30. Bonus Chapter Two

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 5: Code of the Forest  
Bonus Chapter Two

Forgetting everything except for the tom in front of her, Heathertail burst out of the nursery, hurtling across the hollow until she had reached him, barreling into the surprised tom and pinning him quickly to the ground. "Breezepelt, what are you doing?" she screeched in his face.

He glared up at his attacker, snarling and glaring hatred, until he recognized her. Then, the hatred cooled, but his expression was still hard. Heathertail was aching aware of Swallowtail's body a few fox-lengths behind them, still bleeding from the gash Breezepelt had torn in her belly. "You just killed your own Clanmate!" She couldn't comprehend it. Her mind was floundering, her thoughts washed out and confused, blocked out by the overwhelming sense of horror.

Breezepelt glared coolly up at Heathertail. "I killed a fool and a weakling," he scoffed. Heathertail was chilled by the cold indifference in his amber gaze.

She felt herself beginning to shake with fear. "I don't understand," she whispered.

"The Dark Forest has shown me true strength," he mewed evenly.

"The Dark Forest?" Heathertail repeated, still too stunned to comprehend.

She was in such a haze of confusion and horror that Breezepelt was able to easily wriggle free of her grasp. He didn't run, only rising to his paws, facing Heathertail with an air of determined calm. "Brokenstar came to me several moons ago. He told me he could help me learn to be stronger than those who had mocked me and ignored me. They trained me – they trained warriors from all of the Clans. I vowed to help them destroy the Clans, and their stupid warrior code."

Heathertail took a horrified step back as the truth finally sank in. "You're a traitor," she breathed. She gazed at Breezepelt in blank horror for a few moments. Desperately, she searched the tom's face for some hint of the gruff, but loyal tom she had counted as her best friend. But she couldn't find any trace of her friend left in that hard expression. With the glint of ice in his eyes, his sleek pelt bristling with the joy of the fight, he looked like a real Dark Forest warrior.

Anger flashed in Breezepelt's eyes. "No, _they're_ the traitors!" he hissed, lashing his tail. "They always hated me! Crowfeather acted like I was a flea he wanted to scratch off his pelt, and the rest of the warriors never wanted me there! All of them betrayed me, but I'll get them back now!" He held his chin up high, growling," The Dark Forest will be victorious, and the Clans will die forever!"

Now that the shock was finally wearing out, Heathertail began to get her bearings back. "Not if I can help it," she growled, lowering into a crouch. She couldn't let herself think about what Breezepelt meant to her, what he meant to her kits. Right now, he was just another traitor she needed to defeat.

Breezepelt's eyes narrowed as Heathertail readied herself to fight him, a growl rumbling in his throat. For a moment, Heathertail thought he would attack her. Then, his expression softened. "Go back to our kits, Heathertail," he rasped. "I told my Dark Forest Clanmates not to hurt them, but I wouldn't put it past them to do it anyway. I'll find you again when the battle is over."

Heathertail lashed her tail at the implication that she would want anything to do with him once the battle was over. But as the immediate anger faded, she realized he was right. Her kits needed her there to protect her right now. That was more important right now than taking care of her treacherous mate. With a final glare back at Breezepelt, she whirled away, bounding back towards the nursery. The yowls and wails of fighting cats fell behind her as she pushed through the gorse bush into the nursery.

Her terror spiked as her sight adjusted to the low lighting of the nursery. Her kits were nowhere to be seen. Leaftail was sprawled out on the nursery floor, his throat torn open and amber eyes dulled over. Heathertail took a step back, a strangled gasp escaping her. She didn't even have time to show her grief for the Clanmate who had died to protect her kits – her daughters were in danger.

She spun around, flying out of the den with her heart pounding. For a moment, she couldn't see them anywhere. Then, she spotted Birchfall grappling with a sleek black she-cat, snarling viciously. A kit was crouching behind Birchfall's paws, eyes wide as the tom fought. The she-cat screeched as Birchfall's claws sliced through her shoulder, then turned and fled.

Heathertail raced towards Birchfall, coming to a halt in front of him. She tensed, ready to fight the tom if necessary. _He was with the Dark Forest cats when they broke into camp,_ she remembered. _He might still be on their side._ Birchfall whirled on her as she neared, fangs flashing, only to relax as he recognized her. "Is this one yours?" he asked, nudging Darkkit with one paw.

The queen trembled with relief. "Yes."

He stood back as Heathertail crouched beside her kit, sniffing her all over for wounds. "Mistynight tried to carry her off, but I managed to get her back," he told Heathertail. "She didn't look like she was injured."

"She's not," Heathertail murmured. Satisfied that her daughter was safe, she gave Darkkit a final lick on the top of her head, then turned to Birchfall. She hesitated only for a moment – her daughter's life depended on this, she couldn't afford to be choosy about Clan boundaries. "Can you take her back to the nursery, and stay with her until I get back?" she asked the tom quickly. "They killed the warrior who was watching my litter, and my other kit is gone too. I have to find her."

Birchfall dipped his head to the queen. "I'll protect her," he promised. His expression was dark as he added, "Go find your other kit, quickly. These cats will kill kits first just to scare the rest of the Clan into being easier prey."

The ThunderClan tom's words sent a chill through her pelt. She didn't bother to say a final farewell to Birchfall, instead whirling back around and racing into the camp, searching the sea of fighting cats desperately for her daughter. _Nightkit, where are you?_

Her breath caught as she finally saw her daughter. A large pale brown tabby held Nightkit in his jaws, ignoring her frightened wailing as he headed for the camp walls. Heathertail took off towards the tom, hackles flying up and claws tearing up clumps of dirt as she ran.

But Breezepelt was faster. The black tom slammed into the side of the tabby, throwing him off balance and sending Nightkit flying from his jaws. Breezepelt dashed around the tom to stand protectively over his daughter, growling something at the tabby. As Heathertail got closer, she could hear Breezepelt snarl, "That one's mine, foxbreath! Go find someone else to claw!"

The tabby glared at Breezepelt for a moment, then turned away with a snort, disappearing into the fray. Heathertail reached Breezepelt's side only moments later. The tom turned to her, hackles lowering. "She's fine," he told Heathertail. "She isn't –"

" _Get away from her!_ " Heathertail shrieked, slamming into his side with her shoulder and throwing him hard off-balance. Breezepelt stumbled back, looking stunned at her furious yowl, as Heathertail crouched protectively over her daughter. Nightkit was unhurt, but seemed petrified with fear. She stared wide-eyed between Breezepelt and Heathertail, shaking all over. Heathertail felt a rush of regret that she'd attacked Nightkit's father in front of her, but she had to keep her daughter safe. Even from her own father.

As Heathertail checked over the kit, Breezepelt spoke, sounding annoyed. "Pinestripe didn't hurt her," he pointed out. "She's fine." He curled his lip. "Pinestripe is cunning, but a coward. He doesn't have the stomach for killing kits. He probably just wanted to take her somewhere to make sure I'd fight for their side – not that I wouldn't already."

The tom's words filled Heathertail with rage. Breezepelt tried to approach his daughter, but Heathertail swiped out at him with claws extended as he neared, every hair on her pelt bristling, "If you take another step towards my daughter, I'll kill you," she hissed, meaning every word.

Breezepelt halted, anger flaring in his eyes. "I _saved_ our daughter's life, in case you haven't noticed!" he growled.

"Because she's yours," Heathertail spat. "You just called a cat a coward for not wanting to kill kits. If Darkkit was some other cat's daughter, you wouldn't even think twice about killing her, would you? Not if it meant hurting the cats you think betrayed you."

Breezepelt's stubborn silence told her all she needed to know.

Heathertail hadn't been paying much attention to the battle around her, too focused on Breezepelt and her daughter. But now, she could hear yowls of triumph rising, not from the Dark Forest cats, but from the Clan warriors. The newcomers from the other Clans had allowed WindClan to gain the advantage, and now the Dark Forest cats were being run out of camp, the warriors throwing taunts and insults as they chased them away. "The Dark Forest is retreating!" Onestar yowled, at the front of the warriors as they chased out the defeated cats.

"That means you too," Heathertail growled. "You're one of them now."

Breezepelt's eyes widened. "Are you sure about that?" he asked, his tone almost mocking.

Heathertail crouched even lower over her daughter, her tail bushed out to twice its size, her claws slid out as far as she could make them. "Get. Out." She spat out each word with as much venom as she could muster.

Breezepelt watched her for a few moments longer, something almost sad in his gaze. Then, his expression hardened, an icy glint to his eyes. Without another word, he whirled around and bounded away, following his Dark Forest Clanmates out of WindClan's camp.

Only once he was out of sight did Heathertail allow herself to loosen her stance. The queen felt her legs starting to tremble as her anger faded, leaving her overwhelmed with pain and betrayal. She crouched lower, pulling her daughter close to her as she felt the world she thought she'd known crumbling from under her paws.

 **SCENEBREAK**

Heathertail sat among her Clanmates surrounding the Tallrock, her tail wrapped around her paws, fixing her gaze firmly ahead and trying not to show how empty she felt inside. The battle was over, and Onestar had called a meeting. Every cat was waiting in tense silence for what the leader had to say.

Word had come from the other Clans that the Dark Forest cats had been driven from their camps. Firestar of ThunderClan was dead, and many warriors, queens, and even a few kits had died, but the invaders were gone for good. But even with the battle won, against all odds, Heathertail couldn't muster even a shred of triumph. The horror of Breezepelt's betrayal consumed her thoughts.

Onestar stood atop the Tallrock, tail lashing and eyes blazing. He had sent out Ashfoot and Whiskernose on a errand that he didn't explain to his Clanmates, and he hadn't spoken a word since, only to say that they had to wait for the warriors to return to begin the meeting.

Finally, Heathertail spotted cats approaching the camp from the moor. As they nodded, her gut clenched. Ashfoot had a body draped over her thin shoulders, while Whiskernose was herding a black tom forward. The black tom walked before the warrior with his head held low and his tail lashing. _Breezepelt._

Breezepelt turned to snap at Whiskernose as the warrior shoved him forward, only for Ashfoot to whirl on him with a snarl. The crowd broke into worried murmurs as Ashfoot and Whiskernose finally arrived in camp with their prisoner. Heathertail's blood froze as she realized the body Ashfoot carried belonged to Furzepelt.

Ashfoot let Furzepelt's body slide to the ground, giving it a contemptuous glare as she came to stand beside Breezepelt, Whiskernose on his other side.

Onestar glanced at Furzepelt's body. "Which side did she fight on?" he asked Ashfoot in a low growl.

"The other side," she answered stiffly. "Rowanclaw said that she and Hollowflight turned on their warriors the moment the Dark Forest cats ordered them too. Redwillow fought on their side too, but Blackstar killed him. And we found this one," she shoved Breezepelt forward a step, "trying to join the Dark Forest cats as they fled ThunderClan's camp."

Fearful cries broke out from the crowd. "What's going on?" Nightcloud demanded, shouldering through the crowd. "What are you talking about?"

"Those Dark Forest savages were training some of our Clanmates in their dreams, Nightcloud," Onestar growled. His amber glare fell upon Sunstrike and Harespring, who sat huddled together with eyes wide with horror, then to Larkpaw. The leader's expression softened as he saw that Larkpaw was staring at Swallowtail's body, trembling all over with grief. Heathertail's heart clenched as she remembered how Breezepelt had murdered her mother. Crouchpaw sat beside her, murmuring to her, his own pelt quivering. He had lost a parent that day too – his father, Leaftail.

"Most of our Clanmates fought on our side today," Onestar continued. "But Furzepelt fought on the side of the Dark Forest today, and paid the price with her life." Heathertail bowed her head, feeling another wave of pain. _My own mate, and my own apprentice,_ she thought numbly. _How could I have been so blind?_ Onestar turned his glare on Breezepelt, adding, "And Breezepelt fought against his own Clanmates."

Gasps rang through the crowd, but Heathertail could see that some of her Clanmates weren't as surprised. "I saw him attack Owlwhisker," Weaselfur mewed quietly.

Heathertail hung her head, feeling shame and grief coursing through her as she rasped, "And he killed Swallowtail." Every cats' eyes turned to her. "I saw him. He murdered her."

Every cat seemed stunned into silence. Then, a furious cry rang out. "Murderer!" Sedgewhisker flung herself at Breezepelt, eyes wild with rage, but she was quickly blocked by Ashfoot. Gorsetail pulled her daughter back, mewing urgently to her in a voice too low for Heathertail to hear. They both cast hate-filled glares at the tom who had murdered Sedgewhisker's sister. Heathertail could also see Larkpaw staring at Breezepelt, stunned horror in her green gaze.

Nightcloud looked stunned too, but after a few moments, she gave a fierce shake of her head. "What in the name of StarClan are you talking about?" she blustered, looking shaken. "Breezepelt would never murder anyone!"

"I saw it with my own eyes, Nightcloud," Heathertail mewed wearily.

The black she-cat narrowed her eyes. "You must have been mistaken," she growled. "It wasn't him!"

"It was him," Onestar growled from the Tallrock. "And now he will have to answer for it." He glared down at Breezepelt, demanding, "You have been accused of the murder of your Clanmate, and fighting against your Clan on behalf of traitors and murderers. Do you have anything to say in your defense?"

Breezepelt held his head high, growling as he glared up at his leader. Heathertail felt a shudder run through her as she saw the cold glint of hatred in his eyes. She could still remember the grumpy, but good-hearted apprentice she had played with in her youth, and the warrior who often wore a scowl, but who loved his family deeply. Had that cat ever actually existed? Had she just made him up in her mind?Or had Breezepelt actually, truly cared for her once? Try as she might, she couldn't see any trace of her best friend in the cold tom in front of her now. He was a stranger to her.

"Why should I defend myself to fools and traitors?" Breezepelt sneered. Heathertail heard answering growls ripple through the crowd. "WindClan are the ones who have betrayed me. I have nothing to say to any of you."

Onestar lashed his tail. "In that case, I hereby exile you from WindClan," he said coldly. "You have until sunrise to leave our territory forever. If you are seen on our territory past that point, all members of WindClan have my permission to kill you." Breezepelt said nothing in reply, just keeping his burning glare on his leader and lashing his tail.

" _Kill_ him?" Nightcloud repeated, her mew high-pitched in outrage. "How dare you! You can't prove my son did anything wrong!"

A growl came from the crowd. "Stop lying to yourself, Nightcloud." Heathertail saw Crowfeather sitting near the edge of the crowd, his lip curled. "Breezepelt is a traitor and a murderer. You can't deny the truth anymore."

Nightcloud whirled on her mate, amber eyes flashing with fury. "You have no right to even speak about my son!" she snarled, her back arching. Crowfeather met the hate-filled glare of his mate evenly. "When were _you_ ever there for him? I raised him practically alone, and now you think you have the right to judge him?" Crowfeather said nothing, looking away pointedly.

The black she-cat stared desperately at her Clanmates, seeming to search for any cat who would show pity on her son. When none spoke up, her expression hardened, hatred flaring in her eyes. "If you're determined to blame my son for something he didn't do, then you're going to have to exile me too. I won't abandon my son, even if his Clan will."

Onestar glared coldly at the queen. "So be it," he said in an icy tone. "You are both banished. Leave our sight at once, and never return."

Breezepelt turned his gaze away from the leader at last. He cast his hate-filled glare on each and every Clanmate in turn, seeming to want to leave an impression on each cat before he left. "This won't be the last you see of me," he hissed. "I'll make all of you pay for this." His glare settled on Crowfeather, burning with a fiercer hatred than ever. "Especially _you._ "

Once his gaze had swept across the entire crowd, Breezepelt turned away, beginning to pad away from the Tallrock. Nightcloud followed after in bitter silence. The crowd began to part, letting the two rogues through in icy silence. As Breezepelt passed Heathertail, he paused for a moment, the hatred dying from his gaze as he gazed at her. "You could come with me," he murmured. "We could raise the kits away from these traitors, you and me."

Heathertail's heart ached with the loss of her best friend – she wanted nothing more than to have him back at her side. But she knew better. The cat in front of her was not the tom she had cared about so much. He was a monster. "I would rather die," she growled, every word sharp as ice. "Your daughters are never going to see you again. And if you _ever_ come near them again, I promise you, I'll kill you myself."

Breezepelt flinched a little at her tone. Then, his gaze turned cold as ice, his lips curling. "As you wish," he sneered, bitterness dripping from every word. "But when our daughters grow up hating you, because you took their father away from them, don't come crawling back to me." Breezepelt turned and padded away without another look back, Nightcloud following after. They padded further out into the moor, finally disappearing over a dip in the land.

Heathertail only let out the shaky breath she'd been holding once they were gone. She had fought not to show it when Breezepelt was glaring at her, but his words had struck her hard. How would she ever get her daughters to understand why their father had left the Clan? Would they truly hate her for it, as Breezepelt had said? For a moment, she almost felt too weak to stand, fear and grief threatening to overwhelm her.

Then, slowly, determination started to creep through her weary limbs. It wasn't her fault what Breezepelt had chosen to become. She couldn't do anything about it now. The following moons would be hard – she had to raise her kits without their father now, and they would grow up with the knowledge that their father was a traitor and a murderer. But she still loved them, she was still there for them, and she would defend them with the ferocity of LionClan if that was what it took. That would have to be enough.

As the meeting broke up, cats began breaking off towards their dens, several of them limping to the medicine den to be checked by Kestrelflight. Whitetail approached Heathertail, murmuring softly to her daughter as she helped guide her back to the nursery. Onestar was still busy helping guide cats to the medicine den, but he gave Heathertail a sorrowful nod as she passed him. She knew, whatever came next, that she would have her parents' support, and so would her kits. They still had kin that cared about them.

But there was still one cat who didn't seem to care. Crowfeather had stayed where he was sitting for several moments, staring blankly ahead as though trying to comprehend what had just happened. For a moment, his gaze locked with Heathertail's.

Then, he turned away, limping stiffly to the fresh-kill pile.

* * *

Only one chapter left! :D And then it's onto the new novella, though there might be a bit of a wait on that, my homework is piling up for this week, and my parents are visiting this weekend so I don't have the full weekend to do homework.

So yeah, here we get to see Heathertail's reaction to Breezepelt being a traitor. She's definitely shocked and horrified, but she recognizes the truth, and hates Breezepelt for it.

It was interesting working with so many WindClan cats who are dead by the time of Faded Boundaries. ^^ And I even got to work in some new family tree stuff! I'll go through everything I worked out, just for fun:

Whiskernose is the son of Dewspots and Leaftail.  
Furzepelt and Boulderfur are the kits of Willowclaw and Owlwhisker.  
Larksong is the daughter of Swallowtail and Antpelt (yes, Vicky said she didn't think they were mates, but she only said "think", not that they definitely weren't, and the text seemed to suggest it. Also, I don't necessarily stick to canon suggestions that come after EOTW starts. And I thought it would be neat if Larksong had some RiverClan blood. ^^)  
Crouchfoot is the son of Dewspots and Leaftail (from a later litter than Whiskernose).

I also made up a few new Dark Forest spirits for this chapter because... I felt like it. :P Mistynight is a sleek black she-cat with pale blue eyes and a white tail-tip, and she was a warrior of WindClan in life. Pinestripe is a large pale brown tabby tom with pale green eyes, and he was a warrior of SkyClan, because I say so. Yeah, that makes him super old, but whatever.

So yeah, I hope you guys liked it, and I'll see you at the next - and last - chapter. I meant to have them all done by today, so it would be an even month that I got this fanfic done in, but I think I posted some of the stuff starting COTF on the 20th, so as long as I finish the next chapter tomorrow, I'm counting it as a month. :P See ya tomorrow then!


	31. Bonus Chapter Three

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 5: Code of the Forest  
Bonus Chapter Three

"Heathertail, can we play outside of the den? _Pleeeeease?_ "

The queen sighed. It had been half a moon since the Dark Battle. Leaf-fall had settled over the moor, leaving the wind chilled and prey scarcer. Her kits had grown, becoming much more active and playful, having apparently already forgotten the trauma of the battle. Darkkit had more energy and more cheer than any kit Heathertail had ever known, and was always getting into some kind of trouble. Nightkit was quieter and more shy than her sister, usually following wherever Darkkit led.

"Alright," Heathertail mewed sternly. "But stay just outside of the den, and don't bother any of the warriors."

"We won't!" The kits were already scrambling out of the den, lost in some game. Heathertail watched them go with a fond purr. She knew her kits got lonely often, as they were the only litter in the nursery and usually only had each other to play with. The warriors sometimes indulged them for a while, and Larkpaw might take the occasional break from training to play with them for a bit, but it wasn't the same as having other kits to play with.

That wasn't Heathertail's only worry. So far, she had told her kits that their father wasn't going to be around anymore. They seemed to have accepted that without too much question, but Heathertail knew it wouldn't be long until they wanted to know more. How was she going to make her daughters understand that their father was a killer? She just hoped she and her kits both had the strength for it when the day came.

The one thing she was grateful for was that none of her Clanmates seemed to treat the kits any differently for who their father was. Larkpaw had seemed a little leery at first, and sometimes Gorsetail looked at them with pain in her eyes, presumably remembering their daughter. But now, Larkpaw made a clear effort to befriend them, and most of the Clan didn't seem to blame them for their father's crimes. _Thank StarClan for Bramblestar proving the kits of traitors aren't traitors themselves,_ she often thought. The new ThunderClan leader had proved his loyalty, and had probably helped make her Clanmates less suspicious of her kits.

Heathertail kept an eye on Darkkit and Nightkit as they tumbled and wrestled outside of the nursery. Breezepelt and Nightcloud hadn't been seen since Onestar had exiled them. The WindClan leader worked himself ragged these days, hunting and patrolling, to try and prove to WindClan that they were safe and strong once again. What little free time he gave himself, he spent visiting Heathertail and her kits. Whitetail was still recovering from a nasty shoulder bite from the battle, but she too came in to see the kits often.

The queen was more grateful for their support than she could say, but she still felt an empty ache inside of her whenever she thought of Breezepelt. Every time a patrol returned to camp, Heathertail held her breath, wondering whether they would have news of Breezepelt. But each time, there was nothing. Heathertail wasn't sure whether she was relieved or disappointed. She had not forgiven Breezepelt – she could never forgive him. But a part of her still missed him, and Nightcloud. At least, she missed who she'd thought he was.

Even worse was the fear that he was plotting his revenge out there somewhere, and that he might try and take her kits away from her one day. He could be anywhere, after all, and he had sworn to get his revenge on WindClan. Heathertail couldn't forget the hatred in his eyes when he had been banished – that kind of hatred didn't just go away. She almost wished that one day the patrols would bring back news of Breezepelt being found dead, so he wouldn't haunt her worries anymore.

She was distracted from her dark thoughts as Kestrelflight pushed his way into the nursery, his eyes glowing in the darkness of the den. "Hello, Heathertail," he purred, touching his nose to his sister's. "Letting the kits outside for a bit? I saw them playing in front of the den."

Heathertail nodded. "They're getting too active to be stuck in the nursery all day," she mewed. "Especially since there aren't any other kits to play with."

Amusement flickered in the medicine cat's eyes as he sat. "That might not be the case forever," he purred. "Gorsetail has been a little slower these past few days. I wouldn't wonder if she moved into the nursery."

Heathertail's ears flicked forward in surprise. "Gorsetail? Really?" She remembered when Gorsetail had her first litter when she was a young apprentice. The queen had never really said who the father was, but most of the Clan had assumed it was Owlwhisker, a good friend of Gorsetail's. Gorsetail hadn't seemed very affected when Owlwhisker took Dewspots as a mate, however, and when Swallowtail had died Owlwhisker only seemed to mourn her as much as any Clanmate. "Are they Owlwhisker's?"

Kestrelflight shook his head. "I don't think so. She's been spending most of her time with Emberfoot these days."

"Huh." Heathertail wondered briefly whether Emberfoot had been the father of her last litter – but then, where had Sedgewhisker gotten her brown pelt? After a moment, she shook the thoughts off. "Well, either way, I hope you're right about Gorsetail. Our parents have even been talking about wanting to have more kits – maybe they'll have a litter soon. My kits could definitely use someone to play with."

Concern lit up in Kestrelflight's eyes. "How are you doing?" he asked quietly. "With Breezepelt gone, I mean."

Heathertail flinched. She knew her brother meant well, but he wasn't the brightest, and he wasn't always the best with tact. "Alright," she answered carefully. "It's getting easier." She glanced outside of the nursery, where Darkkit had managed to tackle Nightkit to the ground. "It's them I worry about. I don't know how they'll take it when they find out the truth."

"So they don't know yet?"

She shook her head. "They're still young. I want them to be a little older before I tell them that their father is a traitor. It's a big burden for such young kits to carry." She sighed. "But I'll have to do it soon. Some warrior's bound to slip up and mention something to them if I wait too long, and I need them to hear it from me."

Kestrelflight touched his nose to her ear. "They know you love them, Heathertail," he mewed. "That will help."

Suddenly, a head poked into the nursery. Heathertail recognized Whiskernose's dusty brown face, his yellow gaze falling on the medicine cat. "Kestrelflight, Boulderfur wrenched his shoulder while he was hunting," he informed the tom.

The medicine cat sighed. "I'll be right there," he told the warrior. He glanced at Heathertail. "Sorry about that," he apologized. "I never seem to have a free moment to visit anymore."

Heathertail gave a friendly thump of her tail against the nursery floor. "It's not your fault," she mewed. "You have the whole Clan to look after, and since the battle, there's been so much to do." She tipped her head. "Maybe you should get an apprentice."

Kestrelflight rose to his paws, stretching out his limbs briefly. "You have no idea how much that would help," he told her. "Do you think either of your kits would consider it?"

"Not Darkkit," Heathertail snorted. "She hasn't got the patience for it – she has the energy of a moor hunter. Nightkit maybe, but I think they're both meant to be warriors." Her whiskers twitched. "Maybe one of Gorsetail's kits would be up for it, if she has any."

"Maybe," Kestrelflight agreed with a purr. "See you later, Heathertail." The medicine cat pushed through the gorse bush entrance, disappearing back out into the camp with Whiskernose. Heathertail followed behind a few steps, watching as they left.

As she watched, she saw Darkkit and Nightkit batting around a ball of moss. Nightkit sent it flying with a mighty swipe of her paw. Darkkit went racing after it, not looking where she was going as she raced right into a warrior's legs.

Darkkit scrambled back onto her paws, looking up at the warrior with her bright blue gaze. "Sorry about that!" she squeaked, her tone as cheerful as ever.

Crowfeather looked down at the kit, his posture stiff and something like alarm flaring in his blue eyes. Without another word, he whisked away, padding out to the edge of camp, walking out into the moor beyond.

Heathertail's pelt bristled with sudden anger as she watched Crowfeather's interaction with her kit. _Enough is enough._ She pushed past the entrance to the nursery and into the camp beyond. Spotting Whitetail nearby, she called to her, "Can you watch the kits for a little while? I have to take care of something."

Whitetail looked up from the hare she was eating. "Sure," she told her daughter. Heathertail dipped her head briefly to her mother, then trotted after Crowfeather, tail lashing with anger.

She found him sitting on the moor alone, some distance from camp. Ever since his mate and son had been exiled, Crowfeather had been more reserved than ever. He hardly spoke to his Clanmates, only going on patrols when ordered to, and usually wearing a stiff expression. The tom spent most of his time alone, hunting on his own on the moor, or patrolling the borders. He hadn't been in to see the kits at all in that time. For half a moon, Heathertail had borne it in annoyed silence. But no longer.

"Crowfeather," Heathertail growled.

The tom flinched, as though he hadn't heard her approach. Crowfeather turned to face her, his expression unreadable. "Hello, Heathertail," he mewed evenly.

Heathertail padded right up to him, until her muzzle was a whisker's length from his. "You may think you can fool our Clanmates, but I know you," she hissed. "And this moping nonsense is getting old."

Crowfeather looked surprised as Heathertail's furious tone. He pinned his ears back, tone becoming defensive. "I'm not moping."

The she-cat snorted. "You've been moping since the day you came back from running away with Leafpool," she growled. "And it destroyed your son."

"Breezepelt made his own choices," Crowfeather growled, starting to become angry. "No cat made him kill Swallowtail."

"Oh please," Heathertail snarled, lashing her tail. "He made his own choice, but let's not pretend you ever did anything to help him either. You were _never_ there for Breezepelt. You ignored him from the day he was born – you only took Nightcloud as a mate to make WindClan trust you again after the whole thing with Leafpool."

Crowfeather lowered his head, a growl in his throat. "I don't need you to lecture me on the choices I've made," he growled. "Do you think I'm happy about how any of this turned out?"

Heathertail stuck her muzzle in his face. "Clearly, you need _some_ cat to lecture you," she growled. "You're still making the same mistakes. And this isn't about you anymore. You need to suck it up and realize that there are cats you made a promise to, and you've failed them." She lashed her tail, giving a disgusted hiss. "You're the one who chose to have kits with Nightcloud. You had a responsibility to Breezepelt, and you failed him because you were too wrapped up in your own pain."

There was a dangerous glint in Crowfeather's eyes now. "It's none of your business," he growled. He tried to turn and pad away, but Heathertail rushed around to stand in front of him, tail lashing.

"It became my business when I had kits with your son!" she snarled, voice rising in anger. "My daughters have lost their father. I don't want them to grow up like Breezepelt, thinking that their kin doesn't care about them." She bared her fangs as Crowfeather looked away. "I'm not letting you fail more kits."

There was pain in Crowfeather's glare, and even a flicker of regret. But he stood his ground, eyes narrowed as he regarded Heathertail. "They're not my kits," he hissed coldly.

"They're your kin," she growled. "And they're going to grow up wondering why their father was a traitor, and why their father's father wants nothing to do with them. My daughters have nothing to do with what happened with Breezepelt, or with Leafpool. They shouldn't be punished for it." She pulled back her lips in a snarl. "If you wanted to be with Leafpool so badly, you could have stayed with her and left WindClan forever," she snarled. "But you came back. You _chose_ to come back, and you chose to have a son. You have no right to sit around complaining about the choices you made, not when you have cats depending on you."

She thrust her muzzle close to his. "You were a _terrible_ father to Breezepelt," she snarled. "You helped make him what he was. Swallowtail's blood is on _your_ claws too. And if you don't fulfill the obligation you still have to your kin, and your Clan, then you're as big of a traitor as he is."

Heathertail could see that her words had finally hit their mark. Crowfeather recoiled as if he'd been struck, his eyes wide with hurt and with horror. The queen stayed where she was for a few moments, glaring the tom down, before turning away with a disgusted snort. "It's your choice, Crowfeather," she sniffed. "It's always been your choice. It's time you realized that, and stop acting like any cat forced you into anything."

Without another word, she began padding away, back towards camp, while Crowfeather stared after her in stunned silence.

 **SCENEBREAK**

The sun was beginning to set by the time Crowfeather finally returned to camp. Heathertail was in the nursery, watching over Darkkit and Nightkit as they played. She was still feeling uneasy about her earlier conversation with Crowfeather, and about Breezepelt in general.

Some time ago, she'd started thinking about Lionblaze again. She didn't love the ThunderClan tom anymore, she knew that – but once she had. Would things have been easier for every cat if she'd stayed with him? Or would they just be complicated in a different way? And would things have been easier if Crowfeather had stayed with Leafpool, and Breezepelt had never been born?

So many "what ifs," but Heathertail couldn't see an answer to any of them. In the end, they didn't matter anyway – things were the way they were, and she couldn't do anything to change them. All she could do was be the best she could be for her kits now, and hope that they understood the choices that their family had made.

Pawsteps suddenly sounded outside of the nursery. Heathertail looked up, expecting to see Whitetail or her father. Instead, Crowfeather padded into the nursery, a hare hanging from his jaws. She stiffened in surprise, watching the tom warily as he approached. Darkkit and Nightkit had looked up from their game, trotting over towards the tom as he set the hare in front of their mother. "I caught this for you," he mewed gruffly.

Heathertail regarded the senior warrior with some surprise. His expression was more raw and vulnerable than Heathertail had ever seen it before, sadness gleaming in his blue eyes. She couldn't help but wonder what he'd been doing out on the moor after she left him, and what her words had made him think about. She had trained with him for six moons as an apprentice, and she had known him longer than that, but she had never seen his expression so unguarded before.

As the kits neared the tom, looking curiously at him, Darkkit mewled, "You're that warrior I ran into earlier."

Crowfeather's expression was tinged with uncertainty as he looked down at the kit. "Yes, I am," he said after a moment's hesitation.

Darkkit didn't seem to notice. "Wow, you're a big warrior," she mewed, looking up at the tom. "I've seen you in camp before. What's your name? Do you catch a lot of rabbits?"

"Have you fought in any battles?" Nightkit added in her softer mew.

"Little ones, don't pester the poor cat," Heathertail called, watching Crowfeather's expression carefully. She wasn't quite sure where this was going, and she didn't want her daughters overwhelming Crowfeather when it seemed like he was ready to take a big step.

Crowfeather seemed uneasy for a moment as he looked down at the two kits. Then, his whiskers began to twitch. "Yes, I catch a lot of rabbits. And I've been in plenty of battles." He took a deep, shaky breath before continuing, "My name is Crowfeather. And I'm your father's father."

Both kits looked up at him with huge eyes. "Really?" Nightkit asked.

"That makes you our kin!" Darkkit squeaked. Heathertail sent a silent prayer of thanks to StarClan that she hadn't asked any awkward questions about where her father was. That was a conversation for another day, hopefully still some time away.

Sadness gleamed in Crowfeather's eyes as he regarded the kit. But after a moment, fondness replaced the sadness. He crouched to get to the kits' level, giving a friendly wave of his tail. "Yes, I'm your kin," he told the kits. "And that means I'll always be here for you."

For a moment, he cast a glance at Heathertail, his eyes gleaming with gratitude. Heathertail's breath had caught, emotion surging in her chest. All she could do was dip her head in silent acknowledgment.

"Can you play Badger Attack with us?" Darkkit asked the tom, her tail held high with joy.

Crowfeather glanced uncertainly at Heathertail. "Only if your mother says it's alright," he told Darkkit.

Heathertail hesitated for a moment. Part of her was unwilling to trust this transformation from Crowfeather. But after their snarling match on the moor, and everything she had accused him of, she knew she had to let him try. It was the only way he could make up for what he'd done to Breezepelt and Nightcloud – and she wanted her kits to know that their kin cared about them. She didn't forgive Crowfeather, but she was willing to let him try, for the sake of her kits. "It's fine," she told Crowfeather, giving him a small nod.

For a moment, joy lit up in the tom's eyes. Then, he turned back to the kits, arching his back and starting to stomp around, thumping his paws down in imitation of a badger's heavy step. "Grr, I'm a badger attacking the camp!" he declared. There was something very awkward about the way he played with the kits, something stiff and unnatural about it. _Does he even know how to do this?_ Heathertail wondered. _I don't remember him ever playing with Breezepelt like this when we were kits._ Even though he was clearly uncomfortable and unused to playing with them, he didn't shy away from it either.

"We can't let the badger attack the nursery!" Darkkit declared. "Come on, Nightkit!" She and Nightkit began darting in and out, nipping at Crowfeather's paws, and darting out of reach when he brought his paws thumping down to the ground. Eventually, the kits were able to tackle the warrior, and bring him crashing to the nursery floor.

Crowfeather gave a yelp of surprise as he fell. His expression seemed annoyed – for a moment, Heathertail thought he was going to tell the kits off. Then, he thumped his head dramatically against the dusty nursery floor, declaring, "Curses, these warriors were too mighty for the badger!"

"We're too strong for any stinky badger!" Darkkit crowed, hopping around the defeated warrior with delight. Nightkit said nothing, but gave a playful little growl, poking the fallen tom with one paw. Heathertail's worries began to fade, a purr escaping her. She still had Breezepelt to worry about, and the approaching leafbare, and the future of her Clan. But now, somehow, her daughters' future didn't seem so bleak. The family they still had loved them, and if Crowfeather really meant what he said about being there for them, then maybe things were going to be alright after all.

* * *

Aaaaaaaaaaaand that's a wrap! :D One month, twenty-nine chapters, and some 100,000 words later, and I'm done with Code of the Forest! :D I can't believe I got this one done so quickly!

So yeah, here's the last part of Heathertail's little story here. I wanted to show someone really ripping into Crowfeather for how terribly he treated his family. I feel like that needed to happen before he could really become the father figure he was for Nightfern and Darkbreeze. And I thought it was a good thing to show for Heathertail's character as well.

For some reason, this chapter was really hard to write, and my brain feels really fried right now. o_o

So yeah, this is the end of Code of the Forest - I forgot to mention this on the actual last chapter, but COTF was named such because the book is sort of about how this warrior code was made for the way the Clans live in the forest, but it doesn't quite fit in the city and just how different things are there. And it's also about how the Clan's ideologies, and their code, clashes with other ideologies, both of Breeze and his followers, and of the various city cats. And finally, it's about challenging the morality of that code, and the experiences in the book challenging the Clans to recognize the faults in their code, and do something to fix them and be fairer to nonClan cats.

Anywhoo, up next is the novella. I'll try to have the cover out soon, but I can't promise it'll be that soon. I have a fair bit of work to get done this week and next. Plus, I'm a little burned out after writing so much in a month. :P We shall see. And after the novella, we'll have book six.

See you all there!


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